Jason Grace and the Lightning Thief
by Sam Takusi
Summary: We all know what Percy and the Greeks did during the Second Titan War, but what did Jason and the Romans do? What if Ares was not the one who found Luke. What if, in his Roman form, he sent a demigod to do it for him. A certain son of Jupiter, in fact. Takes place the winter before "Percy Jackson and the lightning thief". First in the Jason Grace and the Olympians series.
1. Ambush at the Museum

**Jason Grace and the Lightning Thief**

**This is the first in my new "Jason Grace and the Olympians" series**  
**Summary: We all know what Percy and the Greeks did during the Titan War, but what did Jason and the Romans do? (besides storming Mt Othrys because surely they did more than that) What if Ares was not the one who found Luke? What if, in his Roman form, he sent a demigod to do it for him? A certain son of Jupiter, in fact. Takes place the winter before "the lightning thief".**

I  
Ambush at the Museum

Jason Grace's great adventure began the time the fifth cohort was attacked by dracaenae when he was eleven and a half. He'd been on other quests before; one does not simply get claimed by Lord Jupiter Optimus Maximus and sit around camp all day. This adventure was different though, because on this particular adventure Jason would save the world from evil Titans.

That particular winter's morning the entire fifth cohort was on a field trip to San Francisco. It was long overdue, and the fifth cohort legionnaires deserved it. They'd been having a hard time since the '80s. Since Michael Varus led that doomed expedition to Alaska. It was as if a curse had been placed upon them. They hadn't won any war games or deathball matches in over five years. Their legionnaires kept disappearing at random. Many fifth cohort kids hoped the arrival of Jason Grace, the son of Jupiter himself, would help change their fortune, but he was still too young. And technically he wasn't supposed to exist. His father had broken oath between him and his brothers Neptune and Pluto to never have demigod kids after World War II. There was also talk of a Great Prophecy that predicted Jason would either save or destroy the gods when he turned sixteen. So Jason wasn't exactly a favourite among the Romans, which meant more bad luck for the fifth cohort. Fortunately for them, their centurions managed to negotiate a field trip into town to the de Young museum. It wasn't much, gods forbid what would happen when so many ADHD kids were stuck looking at art, but they had taken it. Now the camp bus, carrying forty or so heroes, raced towards the Bay Bridge.

Jason sat by the window overlooking the bay, which was hard for him to do since he was ADHD in a bus full of noisy ADHD kids, and he was looking at the ocean. The sea always agitated him, and tried to stay as far away from it as he could. Neptune was known to dislike children of Jupiter with a fierce passion. Jason sat next to his friend Dakota who was drinking Kool-Aid out of a bottle. The son of Bacchus had taken to drinking the beverage since the feast on the winter solstice, and he was already hooked. He was only twelve, but his constant sugar high, coupled with his ADHD, made him look like he was constantly drunk. He was absorbed in making beats with his hands on the headrest of the seat in front of him like a deranged drums player. He sometimes hit the guy in front of him in the head, much to the dude's chagrin.

"Cut it out, or I'll kick your podex!" the guy would occasionally say.

The constant drumming irritated Jason slightly, but he needed to be distracted from the bad feeling he was suddenly getting. The bus was now on the bridge, and the sea was now surrounding them. The sky was now covered in storm clouds. Thunder boomed, but there was no flash of lightning. Now that Jason noticed it, there hadn't been any lightning over the last couple of days. There had been plenty of storm clouds though. The wind picked up slightly, causing hair to whip wildly as it entered through the few open windows. The other kids were too busy with whatever they were doing to notice this strange storm. The bus got off the bridge and made its way into the city. It was bustling with activity, even though it was cold, since it was only two days until Christmas. Jason watched as pedestrians milled about, clad in winter wear but looking quite comfortable. Luckily for them, it never got too cold in San Francisco. It took them a couple of minutes to reach the museum. As the bus came to a stop, Gus, the brown-haired senior centurion stood reluctantly after being nudged by his colleague, Jenny, the athletic blond-haired daughter of Pomona. The expression on her face was like, it's your turn with the little monsters.

"Alright, settle down," Gus began. "You know the rules, no touching the art. You will not tear, smudge, set fire to, or otherwise damage the art in any way. No dancing with the sculptures. No bringing the sculptures to life."

A chorus of "Ah, man!" was heard from the backseat. The heroes who had complained were Dale and Mike, the twin legacies of Trivia. Apparently, the only magic they could do was animating objects for limited periods of time. They loved using their powers for mischief, though. The whole of camp would never forget the time they animated the statue of Bacchus and had it chase down a couple of fauns. The poor hooved guys had thought their patron god had come to annihilate them.

"Those with shields and pila must leave them on the bus," Gus continued. "Only your swords must be on your person."

Noise rose up as a dozen heroes fought to speak at the same time.

"Unless you have a magical weapon, then you can bring it as well," he added.

"What about my inhaler?" a timid voice asked.

"You can bring your inhaler, Roger. Now, any more questions?"

A hand shot up two seats in front of Jason. "What if you are hopeless at using a sword, but really good with a spear?" a girl asked.

Several kids agreed with her, and Jenny had to stand up to shush them.

"Look, it doesn't matter," she said with an exasperated tone. "We're seeing art, not going to war."

"Could be the same thing," another legionnaire said. "I'm going to die of boredom anyway."

A few kids chuckled at this.

"Come on, everybody. Single file," Gus said. "Don't forget to thank Jerry for driving us."

Jerry was a retired legionnaire that had volunteered to drive the camp bus. He was a cheery guy in his twenties who was constantly chewing gum. Gus and Jenny led the line out of the bus which Jason joined after Dakota. A cold breeze greeted him as he stepped outside. He zipped up his jacket to lock in the heat and followed the other legionnaires into the museum. As he went through the wide entrance, he looked back at the camp bus. Jerry waved enthousiastically through the misted windshield. Jason watched as a second bus pulled up in front of the camp bus. It was white and had some sort of college crest on its side. Something about the bus gave Jason a bad feeling, yet he forced a hopeful smile and entered the building.

The day at the museum went by quickly enough. It was fairly large, so it took hours to see every different artwork there was. Surprisingly enough, no artwork was torn, burnt or brought to life. The legionnaires managed to behave themselves despite their ADHD. They were Romans, after all. They were disciplined. Jason took his time going over more modern paintings, with Dakota trailing behind him. He didn't find the art very interesting, but it was a welcomed change from legion life. Jason also noticed a group of students who came in after them, milling around in the museum. They were mostly girls, and they were all college aged. Jason guessed they were all from some women's college. He had never heard of any women's colleges in San Francisco, but then again he never got out of camp much. The girls were pretty, but they all looked eerily similar, like they were all related. One of them walked past him, and Jason thought he heard the rustling of grass.

"Whoa," Dakota said, interrupting him from his thoughts. "Is that the Mona Lisa?"

"No," Jason sighed. "Seriously, man. You need to lay off the Kool-Aid."

"Yeah, yeah," the curly-haired boy said before he turned and aimed his bottle at the paintings like a gun.

A short distance from Jason, a group of girls were huddled together in front of a painting, and they were in a heated discussion.

"-so boring," one girl was saying. "And I'm getting really hungry too. When do we get to eat the demigo-" another girl placed her hand on the first girl's mouth, effectively shutting her up. She furtively glanced at Jason to see if he had understood, but he was already backing away.

So these girls were not regular mortals. They had to be monsters. Dread crept over Jason like a shadow. There had to be at least sixty of them in here. And they had them surrounded. Jason hadn't noticed at first, but they were spread in between legionnaires. They had even covered the exits. Jason had to warn his friends.

"Dakota," he stage-whispered, so that the son of Bacchus could hear. "We need to get out of here. All these college girls are monsters."

"What!" Dakota shouted. "All these college girls are monsters?!"

The girls nearest to them all snapped their heads towards them. Whispering and muttering filled the grand room. The Romans were slowly realising just how much trouble they were in. Many gripped their swords, ready for any confrontation. A tall, black-haired girl walked towards Jason and Dakota, a savage grin adorning her features.

"Well done, sson of Jupiter," she said, dragging the "s" in "son". "You have dissscovered what we are. Now prepare to die."

A couple of heroes drew their swords as college girls bared their teeth menacingly at them. Jason instinctively slipped a hand into his pocket, the single coin in its folds growing heavier and warmer to the touch. Before he could use it, he heard Gus's voice cry out from the other side of the room.

"Fifth cohort!" he shouted. "We've been ambushed! Initiate escape plan quintus!"

As soon as he spoke, the girls lunged. Some changed form in mid-leap, while others waited to change before they attacked. Jason watched the black-haired girl in front of him. Her fingers turned into savage claws. Her skin took on a sickening green tinge. As she stepped forward, her legs transformed into scaly snake trunks. She was a terrifying sight, and Jason's eleven year old self almost whimpered in fear. Almost. Years of monster classes at camp had taught him that she was a dracaena, a dragon woman. She leaped at him, her outstretched claws aiming for his neck. His ADHD kicked in, analysing the scene before him with posthuman precision. It was a learning disability in the classroom, but on the battlefield it meant survival. One of Lupa's teachings was to embrace the disorder and use it to your own advantage. Without it, Jason would probably have been food for the wolves.

It was as if the world was in slow motion. Jason was suddenly aware of everyone's position in the room. He saw Dakota desperately trying to make it to the exit while two dracaenae cornered him. He saw his fellow legionnaires draw the weapons they had as the dragon women leaped at them. He saw mortals cowering in the shadows in confusion and fear. Who knew what they saw through the Mist. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Gus the centurion grip a metal canister tightly in his hand. It was part of the escape plan. The legion always practiced exit strategies just in case they were ever overwhelmed by enemy forces. Jason had found them dull and repetitive, like having a fire drill twice a week, but now he was thankful of them.

He forced himself to focus on the monster in front of him, whose claws were mere centimetres away from his face. He pulled out the golden coin from his pocket, but the dracaena was upon him before he could flip it. He managed to duck his head away from the razor-sharp claws, but the monster's body slammed into him, sending them both rolling head over heels across the museum floor. Winded, and with his breath catching in his throat, Jason slowly got to his feet. His right hand, where the coin was, was clenched into a tight fist, the coin cutting a circular mark on his palm. His eyesight was swimming, but he forced himself to focus. The black-haired monster got on her feet and snarled, ready to attack again. Without any hesitation, he flipped the coin.

He couldn't have chosen a worse time to do it. Somewhere in the room, there was a large bang and a flash of light. Before he knew it, green smoke rolled across the room like a sickly mist, consuming everything in its path. For a moment he couldn't see anything in front of him. A dull clank resonated from his feet, where his coin had fallen. Except the sound it made indicated it was no longer a coin. His eyes slowly adjusted to the green fog, even though it was getting thicker. The fog was magical, created by the engineers at camp to help legionnaires in sticky situations. Heroes could see through it while monsters were technically blind in it. The canister Gus was holding had produced it. Jason knew they had only minutes before it cleared. They had to act fast.

Jason's world had turned green, like he was looking through a filter. Everything had taken on a greenish hue, but luckily he could see clearly again. On the floor in front of him lay an Imperial gold gladius that shone eerily in the green fog. His coin, Ivlivs, had fallen on heads. Before he could pick it up, the dracaena leaped again, her sharp claws glinting like daggers. He ducked, rolling on the floor and picking up the sword in the process. He twisted and slashed on reflex. He missed the monster narrowly and she used his imbalance as an opportunity to attack. Leaning back at the last moment, Jason raised his sword to below the chest, the point towards the oncoming dracaena. Her eyes bulged as the blade of Ivlivs sank into her abdomen. Before she could fully comprehend what was happening, she crumbled into yellow dust.

Around him, the monsters slashed wildly, blinded by the smoke bomb. The legionnaires ducked and maneuvered themselves around the vicious college girls, slowly making their way towards the exit. Jason followed suite, his head ducked low to avoid stray claws. By the time he reached the doors, nearly all Romans had managed to escape the dracaenae and were now running towards the camp bus in an ordered panic. Most heroes were covered in scratches and a few were bleeding. As he passed through the doors, Jenny grabbed him by the scuff of his jacket.

"Are you the last one?" she asked him.

"I think so," he answered. For a moment he was frightened more by the centurion than the monsters in the museum.

"Help me close the doors," she continued. "That will hold them for a while." Her eyes looked wild. "We've been ambushed," she said, more to herself as if she could not believe what was happening.

Even though they were close to death, Jason couldn't help feeling sorry for Jenny. She was fifteen, and already she was a senior officer in the cohort with the worst luck in the legion. Now she had to save the entire cohort from possible decimation. That was enormous pressure to put on anyone.

That's it, Jason decided. He was going to help her and the other legionnaires as much as he could.

Gus, the other officer, stumbled out of the doors with a sword in one hand. At the last minute, the dracaenae had realised that their meals were escaping and were making a beeline for the doors. After much struggling and heaving, Jason and Jenny pushed the doors shut and leaned against them as the monsters fought to escape their temporary prison.

"Alright, Gus," Kate grunted as struggled to keep the doors shut. "Do your thing."

With a grim nod, Gus placed his hand on the lock and 'did his thing'. Jason watched as the older kid closed his eyes in concentration, and a moment later there were clicks coming from inside the doors as the locks slid in place. Gus was a son of Mercury, and his powers allowed him to open locks since his father is the god of thieves. Apparently his power extended both ways; it could both lock and unlock doors.

"That'll hold them for now," Gus said as he turned towards the bus. "But not for long. Let's get out of here."

Jason followed the centurions to the camp bus where the other legionnaires were already seated. He took his seat next to Dakota as Jerry started the engine. Gus and Jenny once again stood at the front and took a quick roll call.

"Make sure the person who was next to you is still there," Jenny was saying as Gus was tending to the wounded. "Is everyone here?"

"Wait, where's Dale," a kid asked.

There was a rise in clamour as everyone searched for the missing hero. Moments later, a head popped up from under a seat.

"I found my- wait, why are you all looking at me?" the dubious boy asked.

His brother's cries of concern were drowned out by the roar of the engine as the bus sped back into the highway. The vehicle's tyres screeched as it swerved and weaved through traffic, heading back the way it came. Looking back through the rear window, Jason saw the white monster bus quickly gaining on them. Escape would not be easy.

They managed to get halfway across the Bay Bridge before the monster bus caught up to them. As the camp bus raced across the bridge, the other raced alongside it and rammed it to the side rail. Despite Jerry's driving skill, the bus was sandwiched between the monster bus and the rail, and within a few short moments it had skidded to a stop. Heroes scrambled out of the bus and found themselves face to face with a small army of hissing dracaenae. This time they were in their battle armour and they were carrying an assortment of weapons and round shields.

"Fifth cohort, form ranks," Jenny commanded loudly as the last Roman exited the bus.

Traffic was starting to build up because of the accident, and mortals were shouting in frustration and confusion. The Romans divided into two units with a lane of cars between them, each centurion commanding a unit. The monsters did the same, except their formation was more disordered, more chaotic.

Gus tightened the grip on his sword.

"Brace yourselves," he shouted.

Jason swallowed a mixture of anticipation and fear. With a shout, he, together with the rest of the fifth cohort, charged the advancing monsters.


	2. Mordred's Dragon

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The characters I am using are the products of Roman (and Greek) mythology and Rick Riordan's imagination. Read, enjoy and don't forget to review**.

II

Mordred's Dragon

I_ wonder what the mortals are seeing right now_, Jason briefly thought as he ran at full sprint toward the oncoming dracaenae. He knew the Mist obscured the mythical world from the eyes of mortals, but would it hide a full scale battle? Would the mortals perhaps see a violent protest or a gang war? He did not have enough time to consider this as his unit reached the monstrous horde and the two forces clashed.

Jason jump kicked an oncoming dracaena in the chest fiercely, causing her to fall to the ground in shock and pain. He stood on top of her sprawled form and swung his sword at another monster. The blade cut through the monster's arm, which gave Jason enough time to stab the fallen dracaena in the chest and turn her into a pile of dust. Without any hesitation, he stepped forward towards the recovering dracaena and drove the point of his sword into the creature's torso before it could react. Jason felt his confidence rise as he twisted and slashed at yet another monster. Unfortunately for him, the creature saw it coming and easily avoided the strike. This one carried a wooden spear with an iron tip which it used to strike at Jason while he was unbalanced. He could only watch in horror as the dracaena brought the spear's tip towards his defenseless chest. Despite himself, Jason was not afraid of dying. He knew that as a demigod life was uncertain and could end at any moment. He knew that one day, and one day soon, he would face an enemy he cannot defeat. He couldn't help his eyes though as they closed involuntarily while he waited for his untimely end. It never came, at least not at that moment, and after a few tension-filled moments he opened his eyes testily. The monster that had threatened his life only moments before had dissolved into a messy pile of dust. Jason was stunned for a split-second, but he turned quickly to glance at his savior. It was Gus. The older kid had challenged another creature and was currently locked in a duel with the monster.

"Dude," the skinny officer shouted while at the same time blocking a vicious jab from a dracaena and her jagged sword. "Try to stay alive, all right?"

Jason nodded and immersed himself in battle once more. The dracaenae had no form, no ranks. They came from all directions and attacked without pattern. A green-scaled dracaena bore on Jason, her talons gripping a crude javelin that was aimed at his head. He ducked his head to the side and bashed the javelin out of its trajectory. He stabbed at the monster's torso, but she parried and attacked him once more. For several seconds they were locked in mortal combat, the metallic sounds of their weapons drowned by the rest of the battle. Beads of sweat gathered on Jason's forehead as he fought to break the deadly stalemate. He stepped forward, swinging _Ivlivs_ in an upward arc. He was blocked by the downward swing of the monster's weapon. Capitalizing on the dracaena's imbalance, he twisted around and swung the sword downwards, leaving a gash on her leg and forcing her to go down on one knee. With little hesitation, he brought his blade down on her upper back, turning the monster into course dust.

He used a few moments to survey the raging battle around him. It was chaos. Armed legionnaires left and right were fighting to reform ranks, while at the same time trying to protect their unarmed friends. Jason had lost sight of the centurions, but he could see his other friends locked in skirmishes across the bridge. He saw Dakota charge in to save a disarmed hero with a fallen dracaena's javelin. The son of Bacchus was swinging the javelin horizontally in front of him in a futile attempt to ward off three snake women. Jason ran towards Dakota, hastily sidestepping a circular shield of an oncoming monster. There were too many dracaenae between him and Dakota, he noticed grimly. He knocked a spear from its path, stopping it from impaling him in the gut, and jumped onto the hood of a black Toyota sedan. He stepped on the windshield and launched himself off the roof of the car towards Dakota and his oppressors. Jason brought down his sword on an oblivious dracaena, and she gave a shriek of surprise before dissolving into dust.

Her comrade recovered surprisingly quickly and swung her sword in an attempt to lob Jason's head off. He blocked, but before he could strike back the second dracaena stabbed at him with her spear that had its shaft broken in half. He sidestepped and backed away, leading the monsters away from Dakota and the fallen demigod. Both monsters attacked him at the same time, and Jason was quickly overwhelmed. He blocked the sword and ducked under the spear, sweat now freely pouring down his face. He tried to attack the monster armed with the spear, but she blocked and he was forced to take another step back before he was overwhelmed once more. The dracaenae fanned out around him until he was stuck between them. Strategically, he was at a disadvantage. He swung Ivlivs in a narrow arc at one monster, and she blocked with her sword as he had anticipated. He twisted around backslashed at the other creature. She blocked and slashed at his shoulder, but he sidestepped and backed away, keeping both monsters in front of him. They stabbed at him at the same time, and he swung his sword in a wide arc, bashing both weapons from their intended trajectory. Capitalizing on their imbalance, he grabbed one monster's spear shaft and pulled her towards him while at the same time kicking the other monster in the stomach. He was now holding onto the spear with both hands, and he used his momentum to throw the creature off balance. As she frantically tried to prevent herself from toppling over, Jason acted quickly and jumped forward, sinking his blade into her chest and turning her into dust. He turned around, expecting the second dracaena to be upon him, but Dakota had recovered quickly and had run the monster through with his javelin.

"That was close," the curly haired boy said as he wiped sweat off his brow. "Thanks, man."

"Don't mention it," Jason responded.

He watched as Dakota helped the fallen hero up. The hero removed a battered helmet, revealing a brown haired girl whose name Jason vaguely remembered as being Gwen. She had taken off her jersey, the sleeve of her purple camp shirt was torn and her left arm was bleeding, but she had a weirdly cheery smile on her face.

Somewhere behind them an explosion went off, shaking the entire bridge. Jason looked back and saw a dozen dracaenae get vaporized by an intense fireball. A few monsters were left now, but the remaining ones were still fighting with a savage and ferocious passion. Dakota tried to drag Gwen to a safer place, but she shrugged him off.

"Its ok," she said. "I'll be fine."

Jason never really hung out with the girl, but he noticed that she was unusually optimistic. She always looked for the bright side in everything. Jason assumed it was because she was the daughter of Fortuna, that luck and optimism were somehow tied together. Jason was about to insist that she found a safe place while he and Dakota returned to battle, when a huge roar shook the very foundations of the bridge. Legionnaires were suddenly alert and started searching for the source of the sound. Even the dracaenae looked taken aback by this new development. The railing at the edge of the bridge crumpled and Jason twisted around with his sword held high to see a nightmare emerge from under the bridge. A scaly head the size of a truck rose, its rough skin gray and its eyes yellow with narrow slits for pupils. Its long sharp teeth were gleaming and exposed since it had no lip covering. It was a horrific sight, and Jason's monster training class informed him that it was a dragon. By the smoke that was curling out of its snake like nostrils, it was a fire breathing dragon. By the looks of it, it had just woken up and it was furious. It emitted another roar, and further down the bridge a spiked tail wrapped around the bridge.

"This was supposed to be a relaxing trip to the city," Dakota whined next to Jason.

The dragon pulled itself up from under the bridge, one foreleg grabbing hold of the suspension cables and the other sinking into the tarmac.

"We have to retreat," Jason noted grimly. "We can't deal with a dragon that big. Not now."

By now the battle on the bridge had stopped and all focus was on the ferocious creature. The officers were shepherding the mortals as far away from the dragon as possible.

"I know, but someone has to defeat it..."

"Yeah, but who ca-wait, why are you looking at me, I can't do it."

Dakota had a crazy look in his eyes.

"Of course you can, dude," he said excitedly. "Your dad is one of the Big Three. You have awesome elemental powers. You guys destroy half the world over a minor disagreement. Besides, didn't you face a dragon on your last quest?"

Jason forced the surfacing thoughts to the back of his mind. He would not allow them to overcome him. He knew he shouldn't have told Dakota about that quest.

"That was two years ago. And that was different."

That was all he was going to say on the matter.

Two brave legionnaires were charging the monster, but it knocked them away with its front claws. They landed painfully on the roofs of some cars. They had to hastily scramble for cover behind the cars as the dragon opened its wide jaws and fire came rushing out, melting the asphalt into a puddle of gooey tar. Jason frantically fought to push the fear and the horrible memories of his last quest aside. There was no one else. He had to defeat the monster. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the dragon as calmly as he could manage. The monster opened its mouth and breathed fire on a lane of cars, and seconds later a huge explosion rocked the bridge. A heat wave surged across, and Jason was forced to cover his eyes with his arm as a hot air billowed on the surface of the bridge. Against all instinct, he broke into a run toward the gushing flames and the monster beyond, the wind forcibly pushing him back. The heat was unbearable, and Jason's arm felt like it was on fire. He felt a tug at the pit of his stomach, and suddenly the scalding wind subsided. He was now running at full sprint, but he noticed that the hot air was still blowing things away next to him. Somehow, it was not affecting him anymore. He approached the wall of burning cars and as he got closer, a tunnel was formed within the wall of fire, creating a safe passage for him to go through. He stepped on a blackened car hood and jumped, landing on the molten tar with a squelch. The tug in his stomach ceased.

Then he did the stupidest thing he could imagine.

"Hey ugly!" he taunted.

The dragon turned its head sharply and regarded Jason with a yellow eye. _I must be going crazy_, he thought gingerly.

"You want to eat something, eat this!"

He ran forward and jabbed at the monster's head with his blade. The sword made contact with its chin, but that only irritated the creature. It lunged forward, snapping at Jason with its teeth, but he rolled sideways before it gobbled him whole. He waved his sword above his head, trying to land a clean shot. The more he did it however, the angrier the dragon got. It swung its head like a club, and Jason was sent flying and rolling on the sticky road. With some difficulty he got up and prepared to charge again, but the dragon turned its head towards him and shot scorching flames toward him. He barely had time to jump out of the way, and the flames burned the spot on which he was standing. He survived, but his jacket did not. The back was singed off and the left sleeve was smoking. Coughing slightly, he got to his feet and hastily pulled off the ruined jacket. The acrid smoke of burning tar hung lazily in the air. Seeing that he was not flame grilled, the dragon roared and breathed another wave of orange flames at Jason. This time he couldn't get out of the way. He held out his left hand feebly, but felt the tug in his gut once more. The flames fanned out around him as if he was in a protective but invisible cocoon. No, more like as if a strong wind was blowing against the flames. It must have been his demigod powers. Jason had never really given much consideration to them. He had heard legends from the other campers about the incredible powers that Big Three demigods had, but to him these powers only meant that he was different from them. Like a freak. He only wanted to fit in, to be accepted. Now it looked as if these powers were going to save his life. The fiery wave ceased, and if dragons ever looked surprised this one most certainly did. But Jason didn't waste any time.

He ran at full speed toward the monster, ready to resume his attack. He jumped onto the railing at the edge of the bridge and used it to launch himself onto the dragon. He landed on its neck and used the spikes on the back of its neck as handholds. By the time the monster realized the was a demigod on it, he had already clambered onto its head. He hacked and stabbed the dragon's head, but that barely made a scratch. The head scales were too hard and its skull was too thick. The creature shook its ugly head to throw him off, and Jason had to grab hold of a spike to stop himself from falling off. His grip loosened and he was thrown into the air. Beneath him the dragon opened its jaws, ready to swallow him when he fell back down. He fell on a suspension cable with an audible _oof_, and the monster pulled itself upward, determined to eat the annoying hero. With a grimace, Jason shakily got to his feet. His limbs were aching and his lungs felt constricted. He realized with a sense of dread that he wouldn't be able to mount another physical assault. He had to use his powers.

_Alright, demigod powers_, he thought. _Don't fail me now_.

His father, Jupiter, was god of the sky. Jason looked up at the sky and concentrated hard. He felt another tug at his gut, but this one was more intense. Immediately the sky darkened. The storm clouds that had been gathering all morning thickened and boiled. The air pressure dropped until Jason's ears popped. A dark cloud that was lower than the rest funneled...

...and a loud thunderclap resonated across the sky. It shook the bridge and temporarily distracted the dragon, but somehow Jason was disappointed. He was expecting something else.

He was expecting lightning.

Jupiter was well known for his lightning bolts. The legion was under the orders of Lord Jupiter himself, and it was called the Twelfth Legion _Fulminata_. Armed with lightning. Jason didn't understand why he hadn't summoned lightning himself. He didn't have enough time to ponder this further. The thunderclap had only annoyed the creature further, but it was still distracted. And its throat and underbelly were exposed. He jumped off the suspension cable, _Ivlivs_ gripped tightly in his right hand. He landed at the base of its throat and sank the blade there. With a shout, he dragged the blade with him down the dragon's neck. He landed on his feet on the bridge and pulled the sword out of the monster's hide. With a final horrific shriek, the dragon turned into dust that fell into the sea.

Jason stumbled backwards, suddenly feeling very woozy. This was the first time he had used his powers, and the effort drained him. He fell backwards, but passed out before his body hit the ground.

**A/N: I hope it doesn't seem strange that Jason is using his powers for the first time, but Riordan does say that demigod powers manifest around puberty. Also, I'm primarily using the book universe, but I like the movie universe idea that there was no longer any lightning in the skies since the master bolt was missing. This idea plays a vital role in the development of Jason's powers in this story.**


	3. Horatean Medal

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. All characters belong to Rick Riordan**.

III

Horatean Medal

Before Jason came to, he had a dream. It was not his first dream, and he knew that demigod dreams were more than ordinary ones. They were often visions of events that were currently occurring. He dreamt he was still on the bridge fighting the dragon. At first he thought he was awake and that this was happening for real, but the dragon started talking in a deep raspy voice.

_"You can't defeat me, puny hero," it roared triumphantly. "Prepare to die. _

_Smoke coiled about its open jaws. _

_"Mwahahahaha!" it laughed evilly._

_The monster opened its mouth and a wave of fire roared towards him. He shielded his face feebly..._

_...and suddenly he was standing several feet away from the dragon. He saw the flames consume the spot where he had been standing. Next to him, two dracaenae watched the ferocious creature._

_"...was not supposed to be here," one snake woman was saying. "It's ruining the plan. The Crooked One said to decimate the entire cohort. No hero must leave the bridge alive."_

_The other dracaena snarled in agreement, and the scene changed. Jason was now in a platform at a train station, and it was dark. There were a few mortals milling about. In a secluded corner, the air shimmered and guy appeared as if light rays bent and created him. He was about nineteen, and he looked like one of those cool surfer dudes with his sandy blond hair that was cropped short. He would have been handsome, but his face was marred by a jagged scar that ran from his eye to the corner of his mouth. He was dressed casually in jeans and a pullover, and he had a backpack that he was cradling to his chest protectively. Whatever was in the bag, he did not want it to get taken. On his hip hung a weird glowing bronze leaf shaped sword. He made his way across the platform and boarded a train, looking cautiously behind him as he did so. Moments later the doors closed and the guy disappeared from view._

Jason woke up feeling pretty bad. A dull throb echoed in his skull and his ribs didn't quite move right. His mouth was dry and tasted like an animal had died in there. He raised his head and appraised his surroundings. He was in the camp infirmary, though he did not remember getting there. There were about a dozen campers on the rows of beds. Most were bandaged, and they were either asleep or unconscious. Or dead, Jason thought grimly. Some kids had gotten up and were currently engrossed in a game of cards on another kid's bed. They were all in the fifth cohort. Upon seeing him wake up, Alice the camp medic hurried over to him. She was carrying a vial of unicorn draught in one hand and a wet cloth in the other.

"Don't get up just yet," she said in a calming voice. "You don't have all your strength back."

She used the cloth to wipe his face tentatively. She was in her twenties, but to the teenage legionnaires who usually died very young she was ancient. After serving her ten years in the legion she elected to stay in the infirmary and help wounded heroes. Her black hair was tied in a bun and she was draped in a healer's toga.

Jason tried to push the cloth away.

"I'm fine," he said. "Don't worry about me. The others, did they make it back?"

Her brow creased.

"They did, but that's not concern right now. You should be focused on getting better."

"I am better," he said, jumping out of bed before she could stop him. Immediately he felt queasy and his vision swam, and he had to use the bed to steady himself. "See?"

Alice clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"Here, drink this before you leave," she huffed resignedly, handing him the vial of unicorn draught.

Unlike ambrosia, unicorn draught did not taste good. Jason grimaced as the liquid burned down his throat leaving a strange aftertaste in his mouth. He felt the draught spread throughout his body, and immediately the dizzy spell ended. He thanked her and made his way out of the infirmary. Surprisingly, the other wounded legionnaires who were awake eyed him with a look of respect. Jason was sure they had never looked at him like that before, and it was a little unnerving. He was not used to all that attention, so he forced himself not to look back as he made his way out.

Outside he found Dakota waiting for him.

"Dude, you're alive," he said happily, then his nose crinkled. "Ugh, you're a mess."

Jason appraised himself. His arms and legs were blackened by tar and his purple camp t-shirt was peppered with burn holes. One of his beat up sneakers exposed his big toe. It was colder outside, but thankfully the camp borders were magical and protected New Rome even from the winter weather.

"Yeah, I'm headed for the bathhouse right now," Jason told the other kid.

"Cool, I need a bath myself. Lets go."

They walked side by side down the _via principalis_ toward the bathhouse. They were nearly the same age, but Dakota towered over Jason. The son of Bacchus was twelve, but he looked almost fourteen with his impressive height and build. Jason sometimes wondered why he chose to hang out with a wimpy kid like him.

"What happened on the bridge after I passed out?" he asked the taller kid.

"Well, after the dragon was gone we were able to round up the last couple of snake women. We had to drag you back to the bus. For such a small kid you are surprisingly heavy."

Jason felt a smile tug at his lips, but it quickly died down.

"I take it we didn't all make it."

Dakota nodded solemnly.

"Six heroes fell. Ian took a hit in the neck from a stray javelin. And Megan...I'm sure you don't want to hear about it. "

"There's something wrong with that attack," Jason admitted. "It was too organized. I mean, monsters never do that."

He was tempted to tell Dakota about his dream, about the conversation between the dracaenae on the bridge. If the dream was real then it was a coordinated attack. This 'Crooked One', or whoever he is, wanted the entire cohort dead. Demigods had many enemies, but this one seemed more sinister.

"Yeah," Dakota agreed. "We're lucky to be alive."

They walked on down the paved road. On their right, legionnaires sat on the porches of their barracks polishing their armor and making preparations for evening muster. _Lares_ floated around aimlessly, occasionally yelling out orders in Latin that were generally ignored. Behind them the purple form of a ghost came running and occasionally stopping to hike up his sword belt and toga. It was Vitellius, the fifth cohort mascot.

"Jason, my boy," he yelled as he caught up to them. "I heard of your victory against Mordred's dragon. You know, the last hero to defeat that monstrosity was king Arthur himself. Great bunch of demigods the English were, I tell you."

"It was nothing," Jason said modestly.

"Nothing?" the ghost shouted in outrage. "You single-handedly saved your fellow legionnaires. You have brought glory to the fifth cohort. I always knew you were the best hero to restore our reputation. Why, you remind me of the hero Horatius. I knew him personally, you know."

Vitellius had been in the legion since its early days, and from what Jason had seen he took great interest in new recruits.

"Wait," Dakota interjected. "Wasn't Horatius before your time?"

"What's that, Manlius," the ghost shouted over his shoulder to a non-existent companion. "You want me to check your what?"

The ghost hurried away, occasionally tripping over his toga.

"That was so believable," Dakota said sarcastically.

They passed the _principia_ on the way to the baths. The purple SPQR banner fluttered slightly in the cold wind. A kid on a giant eagle landed in front of the large building and dismounted, carrying with him what looked like an old-fashioned scroll. He entered the _principia_ in a mad rush. When they finally reached the bathhouse, it was about an hour until evening muster. Jason grabbed some towels, intending to head for the steam rooms. The main room housed a large indoor pool. It was originally supposed to be a large Roman style bath, but the legionnaires only used it for swimming and water sports. The smaller rooms housed steam rooms and showers. Today Jason needed a long bath. He doubted a shower would remove all the tar and fatigue from his body.

When he had finished it was already time for evening muster, and he and Dakota had to run all the way to the fifth cohort barracks on the the other side of camp to change into clean clothes and their armor. Jason remembered the last time he came late to muster with a shudder. He did not want to clean the stables with a toothbrush again, that was for sure. His armor was under his bunk in his trunk where he had left it. He strapped on his greaves and golden breastplate carelessly, deciding to fix all the pieces of armor along the way. He grabbed his helm under arm and pulled Dakota with him as he ran back to the principia. The armor weighed a ton. After so many years at camp, he hoped he would have gotten used to it by now, but he hadn't. He could hardly move, let alone run. When he was younger he was allowed to wear less armor, but that rule had been lifted a couple of months ago. By the time they reached the front of the _principia_, he was sweating and out breath. A pasty faced officer in the fourth cohort was still calling roll so they were not late. They grabbed the golden rectangular shields in front of their cohort and Dakota took a _pilum_ (there was only one remaining), and they quickly took their places. Moments later the Lares fell in, a big warrior ghost standing half inside Jason's torso awkwardly.

"Colours," shouted the first cohort centurion.

The standard-bearers stepped forward. They wore lion-skin capes and held poles decorated with each cohort's emblems. The last to present his standard was Jacob, the legion's eagle bearer. He held a long pole which was of course had nothing on top. The all too familiar ripple of embarrassment surged through the legion. That, and looks of resentment directed at the fifth cohort.

The two praetors stepped forward. Jason had to admit, the legion had the most impressive praetors he could imagine. The guy was tall, and he looked like he was pulled straight out of an old Roman painting. Those paintings where the guy never had a beard and was never angry no matter what he was doing. He was nineteen, his skin was flawless and his hair curly and dark brown. He was the son of Venus and his name was Hadrian. Like the emperor. Children of Venus were respected at camp since Aeneas the founder of the Roman empire was a son of Venus. They were usually heroic and valiant, if not a little vain. Even the girls, whom one expected to only care about makeup and other people's love lives, shared this trait and usually became officers in the legion. Hadrian wore a purple toga and a cape over his golden armor which was decorated by a dozen medals. On his hip hung an Imperial gold gladius.

"Legend has it that his act of valour was saving a god's life," Bobby, a skinny kid, said in awe from behind them.

Dakota turned towards the boy with an irritated frown.

"You can't save a god's life, dumbass," he said."They are immortal, remember?"

The girl was eighteen, and she looked like a barbarian queen. She was tall and built, but still managed to look feminine. Her face was permanently set in a scowl and her straight black hair hung loosely to her shoulders. She had bangs that stopped at her eyebrows, and her eyes were blue. Her name was Jessica, and she was the daughter of Mars. She wore a purple cape and toga over her armor as well, but she had less medals.

"Legend has it that -"

"Bobby, enough with the 'legend has its'!" Dakota shouted.

He was met with orders to shut the Hades up from irritated ghosts and legionnaires.

"Romans!" Hadrian announced. "You've probably heard about the incursion today. The fifth cohort, once the pride of the legion, was ambushed by an army of dracaenae. The cohort managed to defeat the creatures, but there were heroes who fell."

He paused for a moment, and the entire legion saluted the fallen heroes.

"I would like to bring forth a hero that performed exceptionally well on the battlefield," he continued. "Come forth, Jason Grace."

It took a moment for Jason to realize they were talking about him. Tentatively he made his way forward, his armor clanking deafeningly in the silence that had fallen. He stood in front of the praetors and saluted.

"At ease, soldier" Jessica told him. "This young hero fought and defeated Mordred's dragon, a creature as old as the empire itself." This time her voice carried to the whole legion. "For singlehandedly saving the lives of a significant part of the legion, he shall receive the Horatean medal, named after the great hero Horatius who saved the whole of Rome."

She pinned a shiny medal on his lapel.

"Few heroes have received this honor," Jessica continued.

That was true. The only other hero who had received this medal in their lifetime was Hadrian. The praetor had accomplished numerous impressive feats during his hero days.

"Ave!" Hadrian shouted, and the legion echoed.

Jason returned to his place, glad that the attention was no longer on him. Dakota clapped his shoulder in congratulation. Gwen smiled and gave him a thumbs up. There were no new legionnaires to be welcomed, but the augur, Olivia, came forward to deliver her prediction. She was almost seventeen, and she had blond hair and a curious look to her eye.

"I have read the entrails," she announced boldly. "Dark times are ahead. The feast of Saturn approaches. This attack on the fifth cohort will not be the last."

A nervous ripple went through the legion. The augur announced their deaths all the time, and the legionnaires had gotten used to such warnings. But this one was different. The feast of Saturn was only two days away. That meant...

"Romans," Jessica announced. "You have an hour before dinner. The final farewell to the fallen heroes starts at eight. Good fortune!"

A halfhearted cheer went up and the legion dispersed. Jason and Dakota headed back to the fifth cohort barracks, and Gwen quickly caught up with them. She was almost thirteen, and Jason was surprised that she wanted to hang out with younger kids like them. Legionnaires liked to talk and her reputation would be ruined. She didn't seem to mind though. She had to leave them and go to her dorm once they reached the barracks. For the next hour Jason busied himself with tidying his bunk and listening to Dakota discuss strategy of the upcoming death ball match with Bobby, their other dorm mate. He didn't join the discussion, he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts. He recalled his dream as he stuffed some shin armor into his trunk. Who was the guy at the train station. He was obviously a demigod, but he was unlike any demigod he had ever seen. He seemed so irrelevant, yet disturbingly connected to the attack at the bridge. Jason had heard stories of half bloods who chose to leave camp and be lone heroes. It was incredibly dangerous, and the fact that he had managed to survive for this long was amazing. Before he could ponder the implications, the bells rung and supper began.

Supper went by with no incident. There was a loud chatter as legionnaires discussed the death ball match that was occurring the following day. Most talk involved crushing the fifth cohort and eliminating them early from the game. The other cohorts seemed not to have any sympathy for them, especially after the ambush. Soon it was time for sending off the fallen heroes. The legion gathered in front of the principia, every expression grim. Not a single body was recovered, and so wreaths were laid out in two neat rows. Jason, along with the rest of the legion, gave the lost heroes a military salute, and the wreaths were burnt. The crowd was mostly silent, but there were a few sniffles and one girl was wailing loudly. There may have been some disagreement between the legionnaires, but in the end they were a team. A family. It was truly a great loss. The praetors delivered last words and Hadrian gave a prayer to Pluto in Latin for the heroes' safe passage to the underworld.

"..._sine incidunt ut venirent in terram aeternae bellatorum, nam moritura bellatores_," he finished gravely.

The final words made a large impact on Jason. It was true, all heroes died young. But hearing the words in Latin made them more powerful, more definite.

The legion dispersed and Jason went to bed with a heavy heart. _At least there's something to look forward to_, he thought optimistically. _Death ball is tomorrow evening. Maybe our luck will change after all_.


	4. Death Ball

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. All characters belong to Rick Riordan.**

**For obvious reasons, Reyna will not be this story. She will be in the next one, though. Enjoy chapter 4, and don't forget to review and give me your thoughts** **and opinions.**

IV  
Death Ball

As the first light of dawn illuminated the dorm room, Jason was already awake. He lay on his back on the bed, a gray sock hovering a few feet from his face. He had summoned a small gust of air to hold the sock up in the air as part of his experimentation with his powers. He thought back to the bridge when he caused the winds to cocoon him as the dragon breathed fire on him. He shuddered slightly as he recalled that feeling of being trapped inside that fiery enclosure. It brought back horrible memories. Memories he would prefer to stay buried. Memories of blistering hot gold in that dank cave and the monster dragging him under...

He shut his eyes and the memory dissipated. He did not like recalling his last quest. Sure, it was his first serious one and he was claimed by Jupiter because of it, but it was a terrible experience for him. He remembered vividly the crackling lightning bolt that shone above his head like a halo, and the entire legion saluting him. Back then he had barely noticed the sign. All he could think about was the quest.

He let the sock fall back on his chest and steadily rose up from the bed. It was getting lighter outside, they had to get a move on. He took a quick shower and moved to wake up his fellow dorm mates. He was the youngest, but he had become their unelected leader. It was no surprise, looking at the people in the dorm. Besides himself, there was Dakota who had barely completed a year in the legion, Bobby who grew up in New Rome but was still on probatio, Roger a plump boy who had arrived two weeks ago with a battered recommendation letter and an asthma problem, and three other hippie dudes who didn't care about anything that happened at camp and ended every sentence with 'dude'. Jason had more years at camp (or so he thought, the hippie dudes never told) and he outranked them, so he had the privilege of ordering them around.

"Everybody up!" Jason shouted over their heads. "You don't want to be late for muster."

Everyone groaned and some covered their heads with their pillows.

"Chill, dude," one of the hippie dudes murmured hoarsely, and promptly went back to sleep.

Jason grunted in annoyance. He had to go through this every day. Why do Romans have to be selfless, he thought miserably. He really wanted to leave them behind.

In the end they managed to make it on time. Morning muster was the most unnecessary thing in the world in Jason's opinion. Every morning they formed ranks and pledged allegiance to the gods with a lot of shield banging and boot stomping. Legionnaires turned up with pajamas poking under their armor, yawning profusely. Most mornings Jason's mind swam and his dyslexia acted up, so that he ended up confusing his Latin with his English due to being only half awake. If he ever became praetor, abolishing morning muster would be the first thing he would do.

After muster was over, and his armor was safely tucked under his bed, he walked to the mess hall with his fifth cohort friends. On the way, they ran into a group of girls from the second cohort. They were older, about sixteen, and immediately they swarmed around Jason.

"Jason, right?" one of the girls asked him.

"Yeah," he responded cautiously.

"That was so cool, what you did on the bridge. You're totally brave. How old are you?"

He told them his age with a wary look on his eye.

"Awwwwww," the girls cooed in unison.

"He's so cute," one of them added. "I wish he was my little brother."

The girls walked away, leaving his bewildered friends staring at him.

"What was that?" Bobby asked incredulously.

"Oh that, it happened all the time when I was younger," Jason said. "It's quite annoying, actually."

It was annoying. He was trying to become a serious hero, how would he do that when he was still seen as an adorable kid. Lucretius was never called cute. Hadrian, their praetor, had never been called cute. Well, actually he had, but in an entirely different context.

Breakfast was as chaotic as ever, with plates floating above their heads and kids constantly changing their seats. Jason sat opposite Dakota at a table, his other friends suddenly nowhere to be seen. Gwen arrived and sat down next to Dakota, her face red from the cold.

"I still don't get why we have to continue with our camp activities this close to Christmas," she said, grabbing a plate with food from an invisible aura. "Shouldn't we be getting a break?"

Jason chewed on a piece of toast thoughtfully. Gwen was new as well, and she was still on probatio.

"Romans don't celebrate Christmas," he explained. "We have a feast on what we call Saturnalia, but it's not for celebrating. You see, in the old days the king of the Titans held the Romans hostage by ruining their crops. He would only set them free if they worshipped him."

"Woah," Dakota said. "That's rough. This Titan dude, his name's Saturn right, he sou-"

"Don't say his name out loud, names have power," Jason told him hastily. "But yeah, from then on Romans had to hold a feast in his honor on Saturnalia, although we're not happy about it."

"Wait," Gwen interjected. "I thought the Titan Lord was chopped up into a million little pieces and sent to Tartarus by your dad."

"He was, but he's immortal so he didn't really die. Somehow part of his essence managed to reach the surface world and threaten our ancestors."

"So every year we have to pay homage to an evil Titan?" Dakota asked nervously.

"Basically, yeah. The holidays aren't very cheery for us. First there's the winter solstice which is when evil is at its strongest, then there's Saturnalia."

"There goes putting up Christmas decorations," Dakota said.

All the talk about Titan Lords made Jason slightly queasy. He had been forced to memorize that bit of Roman history in countless morning Latin lessons. Speaking of which...

"Guys, I think we have hurry up. We'll be late for Latin class."

It was back to the unbroken routine at Camp Jupiter. In the morning they had Latin, and it was torture. They had to conjugate verbs and interpret epic poems. All morning Jason was occupied with translating the Aeneid into English, but he wasn't sure whether Dido threw herself off the cliff or if she tried to push Aeneas off. Eventually, his head started hurting and the words started getting jumbled up, the Latin combining with English to form some strange hybrid language. It didn't help that English was Latin-based. When the class ended, he practically ran out of the room.

The afternoon was much more interesting. They had legion training at the arena next to the principia. It was by far Jason's favorite lesson at camp. He had been allowed to start training only at the beginning of the year because he had previously been too young. This afternoon their trainer was Hadrian, and he showed them the technique of sword fighting before he allowed them to hack and stab at straw dummies. The praetor was considered the greatest swordsman of their generation, and Jason hoped he would someday be as good as him. He twirled Ivlivs, in gladius form, about and hacked at a dummy until only bits of straw remained. They were also made to spar in threes against each other since legion training was not individual. Towards the end of the lesson, Hadrian gathered them in a circle in the middle of the arena.

"Do we have any volunteers for today's final sparring match?"

A skinny pale kid from the first cohort volunteered himself boldly. He had sandy blond hair, and for a moment he reminded Jason of the demigod from his dream. He was about fourteen, yet he carried himself with an air of superiority and arrogance. Jason felt a lump of dislike growing within him.

"Thank you, Octavian," Hadrian said. "I need a second volunteer. Anyone?"

No one else was willing to volunteer. Octavian snorted loudly.

"Come on," he jeered. "I'm not that scary, am I. What about you?" He pointed a finger at Jason. "Jason Grace, is it? Come spar with me. I want to see what you can do."

"I don't think so," Jason replied.

The crowd murmured softly.

"Come on, you're a son of Jupiter. I don't understand why you chose the fifth cohort in the first place. But don't worry, my family is very influential in the first cohort. I'm sure if I put in a good word, you can join us and ditch those losers."

The murmuring grew louder as legionnaires started discussing the situation that was unfolding. Jason felt his blood boil and clenched his fists. He really wanted to beat the smug smile off the skinny kid's face.

"Thanks for the offer, Octavian," he said darkly. "But I don't think I want to be in a cohort that you're in."

Octavian's smirk slowly faded.

"Suit yourself," he said coldly. "I suppose you're not first cohort material." He turned to the crowd. "The first son of Jupiter in seventy years. What a disappointment."

Jason had heard enough. He stepped forward, but Gwen grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Don't listen to him," she whispered. "Octavian's such a...such a...a jerk."

She immediately covered her mouth as if she had uttered the worse possible insult. For her it probably was, she was the nicest person Jason knew. But Jason was tired of him and his friends being picked on by the other cohorts. Someone had to stand up for the fifth cohort.

"I'll do it," he told Octavian. "I'll fight you."

The circle opened wider as Jason stepped in the middle. He faced the older kid and took an fighting stance with his blade raised. Octavian had a pilum in his hands and he stood on guard. Jason was at a disadvantage since his weapon was shorter. He hoped Octavian would underestimate him because of this, but that remained to be seen.

The older boy jabbed at him with his pilum, and Jason sidestepped. Octavian stabbed again, and again but Jason was too quick. The older kid struck once more and Jason was forced to use his sword to block. For several seconds they went back and forth, Octavian jabbing and Jason parrying until it looked like a fencing match. Jason tried to switch to offensive, but he couldn't get close enough break the stalemate. He jumped forward in a superman jab, and Octavian barely brought his pilum up to block the strike while he stumbled backwards. While the older kid was disoriented, Jason swung Ivlivs in a wide arc at his shoulder. Octavian anticipated the attack, but Jason pulled back at the last minute and twisted around, lashing out at the pale kid's feet with his back heel. The older kid hit the ground with a surprisingly hard thud, and his pilum rolled uselessly on the ground. In a fluid motion, Jason placed his knee on Octavian's chest and brought the point of his sword to his throat. For a moment the crowd was silent, and Hadrian cleared his throat loudly.

"Great match," he said. "Well done, Jason." He turned to the crowd. "That concludes our session. See you at evening muster."

The crowd dispersed slowly, still discussing the final sparring match. Jason got up and extended a hand to the skinny kid who still lay sprawled on the ground. Octavian took the hand, and for a second Jason saw a look of fear in his eyes. It was replaced by anger as he bashed Jason's hand away once he was on his feet.

"You got lucky, Grace," he said through his gritted teeth and walked briskly away.

Dakota and Gwen were by his side the moment Octavian left.

"Nice man," Dakota said. "You showed him whose boss."

"Yeah," Jason agreed. "That kid is really irritating."

Gwen gave him a wide smile.

"Keep this up and we may have a chance tonight in death ball."

It was amazing how quickly Romans forgot about a person's accomplishments. While Jason ate dinner with his friends, he was back to being treated a member of the loser cohort. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about his success with Mordred's dragon. Even the fauns referred to him as 'random kid' while they begged for food. It was unfair. Jason had saved the cohort, and this happened only the day before.

"I know how you feel," a disembodied voice said suddenly, making Jason jump.

Next to him a purple form of a young man materialized. His face was twisted in a scowl that made it look as if he died angry. Jason wasn't sure he had seen this ghost around camp before.

"What fickle minds the Romans have," the ghost said. "They easily forget the greatest deeds performed by the greatest heroes. Look at me, I singlehandedly retrieved the legion's standard the first time it was lost during the Jewish rebellion. But do people remember me?"

The purple form of Vitellius arrived at their table and sat down in a huff.

"Oh, go be moody elsewhere, Brutus," he told the gloomy ghost.

"Wait, you're THE Brutus?" Gwen asked.

The ghost only got angrier.

"No! I'm the other Brutus. You see, everybody remembers him and not me."

"Oh, quit your whining," Vitellius said. "Its not very Roman of you." He turned to Jason. "Don't worry, my boy. All sons of Jupiter are remembered at camp for their great deeds."

"Except for me," Brutus complained.

"You're a son of Jupiter, too?" Jason asked.

"Of course, but now I have faded to the background while less impressive heroes such as Ulysses claim all the fame. He got lost at sea, anybody can do that!" The ghost took an imaginary breath. "Mark my words, Jason Grace. No matter who you save, you will always be in the shadow of another hero. Perhaps the first Jason, the Graecus."

"What about Olympus?" Gwen said. "What if he saves all of Olympus?"

That served to shut the ghost up. He obviously knew about the mysterious prophecy that involved Jason. But he had gotten Jason thinking. No matter what he did, there would always be a hero who overshadowed him. Right now it was Hadrian. Jason doubted if he would ever outdo him.

"Get lost you sour sap," Vitellius said as he dragged the Brutus away from the table. They went out of the mess hall still arguing.

"And thought I had issues," Dakota said and gulped down a glass of Kool-Aid.

A horn blew at the end of the hall. The officers who were currently seated at the praetor's table got to their feet.

"The games begin!" Jessica announced.

The legion gathered at the field of Mars. The engineers had managed to create a dilapidated, post apocalyptic small town in only a few hours. Legionnaires were dressed in a strange mixture of modern warfare gear and golden armor. They were armed with what looked like ordinary paintball guns, but these guns were far from normal. For one, they shot fire. The paint pellets were not really paint pellets. They were balls of poison and strong acid that ate through concrete and even Imperial gold. Legionnaires were also armed with an assortment of grenades and bazookas, so the battlefield looked like a scene from Call of Duty with expensive bling. The praetors circled above on giant eagles, ready to play referees and medics.

"Okay, Romans," Hadrian announced. "You know the rules. Victory is by conquest. Last cohort standing wins."

In death ball a person did not lose simply because of a paint stain. It was much more gruesome than that.

"Alright, don't bore them with the details, Princess" Jessica told Hadrian. She liked teasing him about the fact that his mom was the goddess of love. She looked down to address the legion. "Just go out there and kill each other."

On the ground, Jason was waiting for the fifth cohort centurions to give last minute remarks. They were oddly silent though, and they were avoiding each other's eyes. Dakota cleared his throat loudly and the officers were forced into action.

"Augustus," Jenny said cautiously.

"Jennifer," Gus replied nervously.

"What's wrong with them?" Jason asked no one in particular.

"Apparently, Dale caught them in an empty dorm, and they were about to kiss," Bobby said.

"I can see how that would be awkward," Gwen said.

"Can we get on with it?" an older kid said.

"Right," Jenny said. "You know the strategy, stay together at all time."

"Shouldn't we scatter?" Gwen asked. "That way it will be harder for them to round us up. Maybe one of us can hide until the game is over."

"That won't work," Gus said. "The second cohort has a homing device. Beside, legion training teaches us to work as a unit. Staying together is our only way."

"Try to have fun, guys," Jenny added.

The other kids didn't look too happy. They knew that death ball was not fun, not fun at all. Somewhere, the horn blew and the game began.

...

Only eight legionnaires from the fifth legion remained. Jason was one of them. Dakota, Gwen, Bobby and the centurions had survived. Even Roger had managed to survive, although his left pants leg was smoking and he was curled up at the corner hugging his knees and crying. Jason was in no better shape himself. His cheek had an angry red welt and the sleeve of his long sleeved shirt was missing. His golden breastplate had turned a shade of reddish brown at the stomach. Roman breastplates tended to be sculpted like a muscular torso, so it looked like his golden abs had rusted. He was standing impatiently while the rest of the cohort were slumped on the dusty ground in defeat. Sounds of the ongoing battle echoed around them, which made Jason more impatient.

"Come on guys," he said to the officers for the umpteenth time. "I know where the weapons stash is. I can make it there."

"I already told you, its too dangerous," Gus said. "We have to stick together."

"But we're running out of ammo," Jason argued. "We're sitting ducks out here."

"You're not going anywhere, Jason," Jenny said angrily. "That's an order."

Jason sighed heavily. Sometimes he hated Rome and its customs. It always stuck to group fighting, but sometimes that was not practical. Sometimes a lone hero was enough to tip the scales of battle. Jason made up his mind, he was going to find that weapon stash regardless of the consequences. He grabbed his death ball gun and ran out of the clearing, ignoring the outraged cries behind him. He still had several shots left, and he intended to use them wisely. He turned a corner and ran into two third cohort kids on patrol. He hid around the corner as the kids fired on him. A fireball exploded above his shoulder and multiple pellets splattered against the wall. He heard sizzling and the acrid smell of sulfur burned his nostrils. He turned and shot a couple of acid balls, quickly returning behind the wall. He heard one kid cry out in pain and collapse heavily on the ground. Jason had found his mark. He faced the remaining kid and fired wildly. A poison pellet hit the kid on the forehead and he collapsed like a rock.

Jason started forward, but stopped when he realized the burning pain on his thigh. He looked down, and almost threw up. His camouflaged pants leg had a smoking hole, and beneath it his skin was still sizzling. With a grimace, he uncorked a vial of nectar with his teeth and poured it over the wound. Seconds later the skin stopped sizzling and started to heal. He limped painfully forward, eager to reach his destination. He had memorized the way to the weapons stash while they were still being chased around before. It was on the eastern side of the ruined village, and last time he checked the first and forth cohort were locked in battle over it. He would have to sneak in while they were still distracted.

He hid behind a ruined wall and appraised the scene before him. Across the street lay the building that housed the weapons stash. It was a small hut, but it was being fought over like it was the senate building itself. It was a war zone. Legionnaires shot at each other wildly from behind overturned cars (how they got there Jason didn't know). A grenade exploded, taking out four first cohort kids. The pavement was scorched and cracked by the unrelenting fighting. A brave hero broke away and ran toward the hut, but he was taken down quickly and painfully. There was no other option, Jason realized. He would have to go through the battlefield. He counted to three, then dashed across the street and into the battle. He ducked under a fireball a fired shots wildly about him. He made a break for the hut, but was hit on the back by a heavy pellet. He collapsed forward, his back plate crumbling into a pile of rust. He pulled off his breastplate and was left unprotected around his torso. He turned and faced the kid who had stopped him, but instead found four legionnaires aiming at his exposed torso. They fired at him at once, a dozen deadly pellets bearing on him at incredible speeds. He felt a tug at the pit of his stomach, and all the balls were halted an inch in front of him. The legionnaires looked at the floating pellets in surprise, but before they could act he willed the winds to fire the the balls back. They found their targets, and the four kids collapsed in defeat. He was about to turn and head for the hut when his fifth cohort friends emerged across the street. For a split second he was distracted, and he didn't see the poison ball that smacked him squarely on the forehead. His vision blurred and he staggered slightly before he collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

He awoke to find Jenny glaring at him intensely. His other friends were nowhere to be seen. The game was over, and from the looks of their smug expressions, the first cohort had won. Again. Jason slowly got the his feet to meet the fuming centurion.

"You disobeyed a direct order," she said. "I'm sorry, but I have to punish you. I believe a few hours in a sack of weasels would-"

She turned abruptly to look at the commotion that had suddenly erupted behind them. The celebrating legionnaires were backing away from a kid who was twitching spasmodically. It was Octavian. The pale boy shouted out, then his voice started to change. First it sounded like two voices were coming out of Octavian's mouth, one small and frightened and the other deep and menacing. The deep voice took over and the screaming subsided, but Jason started backing away as well. A circle of flames appeared around Octavian, and when he opened his eyes they were pools of fire. Like miniature nuclear explosions. He moved his head about experimentally, then examined his hands curiously.

"This is your augur?" he said in the same deep voice. "You guys sure have dropped the ball around here."

Jason wasn't sure of what was happening, but it looked as if Octavian was possessed. Normally he would have been happy when something bad happened to the pale kid, but this force seemed powerful. And dangerous.

"Where are my manners," the voice said. "Romans! My people, lend me your ears. I am Mars, god of War and patron of Rome, and I come with a grave message."

**A/N: The poison balls do not kill. They drain one's energy and knock a person unconscious**.


	5. Gray Eyes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. All characters belong to Rick Riordan.**

**Just to avoid any confusion, Odysseus's Roman name is Ulysses (you can google it to confirm). I would think the Romans prefer using Ulysses instead of Odysseus. Please read, enjoy and don't forget to review.**

V  
Gray Eyes

Besides Lupa and Terminus, Jason could safely say that he had never been in the presence of a god. Roman gods were after all known to distance themselves from the mortal world. Technically the god wasn't even here, he was using magic to speak through Octavian. But Jason could still feel the power emanating from Octavian's skinny form. The usually hunched up kid was now standing straight and confidently as he, or rather Mars, appraised the legion. The entire legion had converged on the spot where Octavian stood in front of the weapons hut. Even the praetors had gotten off their eagles. Everyone was still too shocked to make a sound. The praetors knelt hastily, and the legion followed their lead without question.

The figure wreathed in flames cleared his throat, the resulting noise sounding like artillery shells being fired.

"You can stand up now. So, like I said, I'm Mars," he said. "And I'm speaking though this kid, your augur."

The legion got on their feet warily. Olivia, their actual augur, was the first to react.

"Pardon me, Lord Mars," she said while taking a step forward. "But that's just my cousin, Octavian. He's not the augur. I am."

"Oh, really? Well, this is awkward. I guess you have a lot to discuss during the next senate meeting," he said, chuckling.

Olivia's eyes widened in surprise. True, most augurs came from their family, but Octavian did not look like augur material.

"As I was saying," Mars continued. "Dark times have befallen Olympus. On the winter solstice, Jupiter's Master Bolt, his symbol of power, was stolen." The crowd gasped. How could the king of the gods' weapon be stolen? "If you haven't realized yet, this is bad. Lightning has since disappeared from the skies. Jupiter sent out his greatest children to find the weapon, but so far we've been unsuccessful. The thief is hidden from us, and is currently in the mortal realm. While searching the streets of New York yesterday, I was suddenly hit with an idea. Why look for the Master Bolt myself when I have an entire city of heroes who can do it for me. So Romans, I'm in need of the greatest hero you've got. A hero to retrieve the Master Bolt."

Jason could hardly process the news. His father's symbol of power was missing. That couldn't possibly end well.

"I've heard rumors of the perfect hero for the job. Bring forth the son of Jupiter."

Murmur arose as legionnaires craned their necks to find Jason. He could only stand there transfixed. How could Mars entrust him with such a mission?

"You must be him," Mars said, pointing at Hadrian. The praetor only shook his head. "You're not him? You're the coolest looking kid here, who else can be my little brother?"

Jason remained firmly rooted to the spot. He still felt lightheaded from the poison pellet that had hit him on the forehead. Next to him, Jenny gave him a forceful shove toward the god. Jason moved forward until he stood in front of Mars.

"Lord Mars," he said. "I'm the son of Jupiter."

Mars arched Octavian's eyebrows.

"But you're just a little kid." he sighed heavily. "I could just pick the praetor kid over here, or my kid even, but then again it would be pretty cool if Jupiter's kid found the weapon." He turned to Jason. "Fine, I'll give you the quest. Find the Master Bolt and return it to me before the year ends. Don't disappoint me."

"No pressure, then," Jason said quietly.

Octavian's body shuddered and the circle of flames around him disappeared. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again they were back to normal. He stumbled backwards and two legionnaires rushed to catch him. Once it was clear that Mars was gone, noise broke out as the legion discussed what has just occurred.

"Are you okay?" Jenny asked him.

Jason had suddenly felt woozy as the entire encounter with Mars caught up with him. The fact that Jupiter's Master Bolt was missing was so surreal, yet in a way it made sense. On the bridge, Jason should have been able to summon lightning. Back then he hadn't understood why, but now he was sure it was because the bolt somehow affected him as well. Which was a relief because he was starting to think he was the problem. That he was somehow defective. That wouldn't do at all. It was so much pressure being the son of Jupiter.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he said.

Jenny didn't look convinced, but she left to check on the other fifth cohort kids. By now the crowd was almost in a panic, and the two praetors had to bring them to order. Jessica looked slightly angry, probably because her dad had hardly acknowledged her during his visit. Jason reckoned he would be unhappy too if his dad came to camp for the first time in his lifetime and didn't even look his way.

"Death ball is over," Jessica said. "The first cohort has won, again."

"A rare occurrence has befallen us today," Hadrian added. "Our patron god visited our city. However, we will need to hold a senate meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the most recent events."

"Tomorrow? But it's Christmas," a legionnaire complained.

Jessica moved to stand in front of the kid, her face twisted in annoyance.

"First of all, its Saturnalia," she said. "Secondly, we have been given an important quest by my da-I mean by Mars-that we cannot possibly ignore."

"Right," Hadrian continued. "You're free to return to your normal activities. Again, well done first cohort."

The crowd dispersed, and a couple of kids had to carry Octavian back to camp since he insisted that he was not feeling well. Jason started towards his fifth cohort friends, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. It was Hadrian.

"Jason, why don't you help me carry some stuff back to the principia," the praetor said.

"Sure, Hadrian," Jason agreed. After all, he couldn't refuse a direct order from a praetor.

He gathered a couple of death ball guns and bundled them in his arms. He started after Hadrian, the praetor already a few yards ahead. He expected Hadrian to call down an eagle to help them carry the stuff, that was after all the easiest way to carry the equipment, but the praetor started walking towards camp at a leisurely pace, carrying a few pieces of bent armor in his hands. Jason caught up to him, and he smiled in acknowledgement.

"Big quest, huh?" Hadrian said. "Are you nervous?"

"A little bit," Jason admitted.

"Don't worry yourself too much. I remember my first quest, I was barely older than you. I had to raid Medea's lair. I scored some pretty awesome sunscreen."

"I wish my quest goes as well as yours."

Hadrian chuckled. "It hardly went well, few quests do, but I see what you mean. I have a feeling your quest will be infinitely more dangerous."

They walked on in brief silence. They were now on the via praetoria, and there were a few first cohort kids still celebrating on the road. A chilly breeze caused Jason's teeth to chatter involuntarily and goose bumps to form on his exposed arm.

"Who do you think stole the master bolt?" he asked sincerely.

"It's hard to determine. Its obviously not an immortal, the ancient laws prevent gods from directly taking another god's symbol of power. But this person, whoever it is, must be pretty skilled to steal the most powerful weapon in the world right from under the gods' noses."

"I had a feeling he wouldn't be easy to beat."

Hadrian nodded. "Coming back to your question, I have a few suspicions about who's behind this. It could be Jupiter's brothers, Neptune and Pluto. They have always expressed their unhappiness about how the world was divided among them. Plus, they are angry at Jupiter for breaking the oath they made seventy years ago not to have any more demigod children."

Jason's mouth felt like ash. Technically he shouldn't even exist.

"So they figured it was best to steal his symbol of power?" he said bitterly.

"I can't really say, Jason. If one of them did steal the bolt, it's probably because he wants to overthrow Jupiter. It could be Pluto, though I doubt it. It's more likely Neptune, after all he's tried to do it before."

Jason tried to recall the myth. "He captured Jupiter in a net, didn't he? Then the Olympians made Jupiter promise to be a better leader before they released him."

"So Neptune is capable. Jupiter will surely suspect him first. This could lead to a war among the gods that would devastate mankind. That's why you have to find the bolt as quickly as possible."

They were now inside camp with the principia directly in front of them. They entered the whitewashed building and found no one inside. Fires burned in golden braziers that were on the walls around the main room, casting shadows on their faces. From where he was standing, Jason couldn't clearly see the praetor's face. It was obscured in shadow, and he couldn't tell what expression it had.

"The thief may not even be working for Neptune," Hadrian said. "He could have just stolen the bolt for himself, which worries me the most. If the master bolt stays in the mortal world away from Jupiter any longer, it may be noticed by other forces. Dark forces. Enemies of the Olympus. They may take it from the thief and use it to bring Western civilization crashing into the ground."

Jason nodded grimly. The praetor dropped the pieces of armor on the ground in a messy pile and gestured to Jason to do the same. He turned to Jason again and in the firelight he looked like those marble statues in the city.

"You have to find the bolt quickly," he reiterated. "Not only Mars or your father, but the whole of Olympus may be depending on you to succeed."

Hadrian walked to the long praetor's table and rearranged some scrolls. Clearly the conversation was over.

"Do you want me to sort out this pile?" Jason asked.

"Leave it. I'll do it myself, it will give me some time to think. But don't tell Jess, she thinks I'm way too easy on you guys."

Jason nodded. "Thanks."

"No problem. Don't forget to attend the senate meeting tomorrow morning."

With that Jason left the principia. As he walked towards the fifth cohort barracks, fatigue finally caught up to him. It was about nine in the evening and legionnaires were still about, chatting and hanging out, but Jason decided to turn in. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

That night he dreamed. The first dream didn't make much sense. He was being chased by a giant stapler that was hell bent on consuming him. The second dream made even less sense.

_He was in a dark forest at night. Suddenly flashlights flared all around him and police officers in blue uniform weaved between the trees, clearly in pursuit of someone. They had police dogs in loose leashes which barked and sniffed out an unseen fugitive. They chased and chased, but they simply couldn't catch up to the escapee. Finally they reached a clearing, and they found the fugitive waiting for them. He had his back to them, and his orange prison jumpsuit stood out starkly against the dark trees around him. The police officers trained every gun and flashlight on him, and the dogs were restrained before they could tear the prisoner apart. Except the dogs no longer looked like they were hunting. They looked terrified and were pulling at their leashes, eager to be set free._

_"Freeze!" one cop shouted. "Turn around and put your hands in the air."_

_The fugitive turned around, and one officer dropped his pistol. Another whimpered in fear. They hadn't noticed this before, but the figure was more than ten feet tall. He had an impressive build, muscles bulging underneath his prison clothes. His face was the most surprising of all his features. It was an ashen gray, like wrought iron, and it was as smooth and shiny as if it was made from metal. His eyes were a solid but lighter gray like two dull coins. His hair was tousled, wild and in the limited light it looked black, but Jason knew somehow that it was gray as well. As the figure stood there, still with his hands raised, he looked like a statue carved out of iron enriched rock. Then his face twisted into a cruel smile._  
Jason woke up with a start. He remembered the dream vividly, and it worried him. Who was that fugitive? More importantly, what was he? Somehow Jason knew that none of those police officers had survived that attack, if the dream was real. The guy seemed incredibly powerful and malicious. Jason prayed it was only just a dream.

Pushing the dream to the back of his mind, he got himself ready for the senate meeting. There was no muster on Saturnalia, it didn't seem right to pledge allegiance to the gods while paying homage to the Titan Lord. He made his way to New Rome alone as none of his friends could attend the meeting. The fauns were more active on the via praetoria, harassing senators for spare denarii. He reached the city borders and came across the first marble statue of Terminus, the Roman god of boundaries. His armless form eyed him with disapproval.

"You're not a senator," he said. "What is your business in the city this morning.

Jason was no longer surprised by the talking statue. Terminus seemed to forget the names of all the legionnaires that made their way into the city, but Jason didn't mind.

"I'm here for the senate meeting. I've been issued a quest that's the subject of this meeting."

"Wow, they give quests to anybody these days. Okay, you know the drill, no weapons inside the Pomerian Line. Empty your pockets."

Jason pulled out his coin and held it before Terminus uncertainly.

"So how are you gonna take it from me?" he asked the statue.

"Don't get smart with me, boy. I'm slapping your face for asking that question. Do you feel that?"

"Uh, ohhhhkay?"

"Julia," the god called. "Come here, you wretched girl. Kids these days!"

Jason hadn't noticed the little girl behind the statue. She looked really young, about two years old, and he wasn't sure how she could work for Terminus. She sat in front of a platter with an assortment of weapons on it, and she was absorbed in sucking on a jeweled pommel of a sword.

"She's still an intern," Terminus said.

Jason walked around the statue and placed Ivlivs on the platter. Unfortunately for him, Julia let go of the sword she was eating and busied herself with Jason's coin. Great, she's gonna get baby slop all over it, he thought.

"What's your name, kid?" Terminus asked.

"Jason Grace. You should know, my weapon returns to my pocket when I drop it. So if it comes to me while I'm still in the city-"

"Don't worry about that, it will stay here with me."

"Thanks, I guess," Jason said and walked past the statue.

"Don't die on your quest, boy!" Terminus called after him.

The city was as impressive and chaotic as ever, with people milling about in a combination of togas and modern clothes. It had been a while since he had been into New Rome, and he had almost forgotten all the sights. He passed statues of old Roman heroes (sadly these ones couldn't talk) on his way to the senate building. The structure stood tall with its domed roof and white columns. Senators stood beneath the columns importantly in their white togas in deep discussion. They eyed Jason warily as he approached. A group of elderly ghosts made their way into the building. Shortly after, the meeting began.

It started with the senators arguing amongst themselves.

"We can't let go on such a big quest," Hank, a senator, was saying. "He's too young."

"We can't disobey an order from Mars," Leila argued.

"Yeah," Larry agreed. "Besides, this could be the start of the prophecy."

Jason hadn't considered that. "Isn't the prophecy for when I turn sixteen?"

The senators turned to look at him. It seemed they had forgotten that he was still there. They seemed surprised that he knew about the prophecy. It was supposed to be a closely guarded secret within the senate.

"He's right," Jessica said from the praetor table. "But you can never be sure with prophecy."

"And we can't be too sure the prophecy is even about him. There could be another Big Three demigod out there."

"Don't be an idiot, Larry," another senate said. "There can't possibly be another one out there."

The senators broke into more arguments across the room. Hadrian raised his hands to silence the crowd.

"I suggest we don't bother ourselves too much with the prophecy. If I'm correct, then it is not for another four years or so. We should be concerned about the stolen master bolt."

Commotion rose again as senators fought to talk over each other.

"The first Olympian to contact us in five years, and he asks us for the impossible," Marcus said. "Who would steal Jupiter's symbol of power?"

Senators came up with different theories to answer this question. One kid suggested that the bolt wasn't even stolen, that the gods were testing them. Almost everybody disagreed with that theory.

"Whatever the reason," Jessica said. "Jason will discover it on his quest."

She turned to Jason. "Have you decided who you are taking on your quest? Remember, you need two other heroes to accompany you."

Jason didn't even hesitate. He had the perfect heroes in mind.

"Yes, I have," he said. "I will take Dakota and Gwen."

There was uproar in the room.

"They are inexperienced..."

"...not good enough..."

"...Gwen is still on probatio. Only a full member of the legion can go on quests."

"That can easily be solved," Hadrian said. "I've been told Gwen performed extraordinarily well against the dracaenae on the bridge. Since she helped save the fifth cohort, this is considered an act of valour. She will be promoted to full legion member after the meeting."

"You can't just promote her based on that." It was Octavian. Jason was surprised that the skinny kid was even here. He was neither a senator nor a centurion. Then again, Mars had channeled his essence through him, which was only possible with augurs.

"There is nothing in the rulebook that says we can't," Jessica said."Besides, I believe a hero's best companions are the ones he or she chooses personally."

"It's good you decide to speak up now, Octavian," Hadrian said. "Because we need to discuss your channeling of the War god. Olivia, what does this mean?"

Jason hadn't noticed the augur. She had been sitting quietly until now, lost in deep thought.

"Honestly, I don't know. Lord Mars was supposed to speak through me. But Octavian is a descendant of Apollo, just like me, so he may have the gift. I guess he will need to be trained, by me of course, in order to become the augur some day."

"Thank you, Olivia," Jessica said. "I'm sure Octavian will make a fine augur." She didn't look like she meant what she said.

Octavian looked unsure for a moment, but quickly recovered and took up his usual arrogant manner.

"I will accept your training, cousin. It will be an honor to someday glean the will of the gods."

Great, Jason thought. Of all the people to become future augurs, the Fates had to pick the most irritating, most arrogant kid.

"That being said," Hadrian said, "Octavian will learn the ways of the augur. Jason will leave on his quest today, accompanied by Gwen and Dakota. All in favor?"

Many hands went up, but a few senators grumbled in disagreement.

"It is decided, then," Olivia said, standing up. "Jason, come with me to Temple hill to receive your augury. May the gods be with you."

**A/N: The story is about to really take off. I've got great plans for this story. Can someone guess who or what the gray dude is? Stay tuned!**


	6. Saturnalia Night

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. All characters belong to Rick Riordan**.

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed. Please read, enjoy, favorite, follow and most importantly, review!**

VI  
Saturnalia night

"Did he have to come with us?" Jason asked Olivia as they made their way toward Temple hill.

They were walking at a moderate pace while the sun climbed higher above them. There were fewer clouds in the sky, but for some reason the day seemed duller. The inhabitants of New Rome were going about their daily activities, but they looked guarded and uneasy. There were fewer children about, making the streets less lively.

"He is an augur in training," Olivia said. "He has to come with me to see how it's done."

"I get that, but the training could have started next week, tomorrow even, not right now."

"Hey, quit talking about me like I'm not here," Octavian quipped irritably.

"You guys don't like each other much, do you?" Olivia remarked.

"I don't associate myself with fifth cohort losers." The skinny kid smirked at Jason arrogantly.

"Well, this fifth cohort loser wiped the arena with your butt," Jason said.

"That doesn't count. I had sand in my eyes."

"Keep telling yourself that."

Octavian grumbled incoherently and they walked on.

"Is everything ready for tonight, cousin," he asked Olivia.

The augur's blond ponytail whipped slightly in the wind as her face visibly darkened.

"Yes. I'll start sacrificing at noon until sun down. After that the feast will begin."

Jason felt an involuntarily shudder creep up his spine. This was going to be the first Feast of Saturn he would miss since he arrived at camp. Inwardly he was glad, the feast was a pretty depressing event. It was like attending a funeral. His own funeral.

"I'll help you with that," Octavian said. "After all, I need to start learning how anyway."

Olivia nodded but didn't say a word. Jason knew she was secretly glad she wasn't going to do it alone. They soon reached the crooked stone path that led past the crazy assortment of tiny altars and massive domed vaults. Statues of gods seemed to follow Jason with their eyes as he followed the augur and Octavian up the hill. Jason didn't spend much time on Temple hill. In fact, the last time he had been there was two years ago, before his last quest. Everything seemed as it was, but somehow the monuments were less imposing. Today was not a day for the gods.

As they passed the red crypt that was the temple of Mars Ultor, a kid ran past them screaming, a trail of smoke behind him.

"Are his pants on fire?" Jason asked.

"Yes," Olivia answered simply. "That's what you get when you lie to the gods. I hope you take heed, Jason."

If he wasn't so anxious about the quest, Jason would have laughed. But as the flaming kid reached the bottom of the hill, still screaming, he felt his stomach clench into a tight knot of worry. It was hard to believe in auguries, but he had learned firsthand that they were eerily accurate.

They passed the tool shed that was Neptune's temple. It always amazed Jason that such an unimpressive building was built in honor of the powerful sea god who almost certainly wanted him dead. He imagined the tough life a half-blood child of Neptune would live, constantly disliked by the legion. It would be worse than his life, that was for sure.

"Why do you speak so old fashioned?" he asked Olivia, hoping to distract himself. "It's like you attended elementary school in Middle Earth."

The question caught Olivia unawares.

"It's because, well, I'm the augur. I have to sound wise and mystical. Besides, I have to make people take me seriously, you know. Romans tend to look down upon women."

"We do not!" Octavian exclaimed in outrage. "Those were the old Romans. We no longer do that."

It was true. Nowadays the women were equal to men in New Rome. The legion was balanced, and girls could become praetor now. There were even female senators, something that would have been frowned upon two thousand years ago."

"I don't know why the old Romans did that," Olivia said. "Considering the greatest heroes were girls. I mean, look at Cleopatra, Cynisca, Queen Camilla."

Jason knew better than to argue. This was not a argument he would win. Even Octavian held his opinions, for the look Olivia was giving him said, carefully now or I'll get the gods to vaporize you.

Finally they reached the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Clouds hung low above the white domed roof of the temple, a fallout from previous auguries. Jason tried his best not to look at the prophecies that were inscribed onto the floor, but they seemed to be whispering to him, tempting him with secrets from the future. He forced his eyes away and continued forward where Olivia and Octavian stood, by the altar in the middle of the room. The augur removed a pink _my little pony_ stuffed animal from a backpack that was leaning against the altar. Overhead the clouds darkened and swirled, and thunder boomed loudly. There was of course no red lightning that usually accompanied the thunder. Olivia muttered a prayer in Latin and gutted the pink toy. White stuffing spilled onto the altar and the augur busied herself with it while Octavian observed. While she read the entrails, Jason lifted his eyes to the giant statue of Jupiter. The golden statue's purple toga fluttered in the wind while its eyes looked down on him ominously. For a second Jason felt as if his father was there, watching him through the statue just like Mars had looked through Octavian last night. And for once he found himself thinking about what he would say to him. He of course came up with nothing.

His gaze shifted to the lightning bolt the statue had in his giant hand. It was jagged, just like a sculpted representation of lightning should be. He wondered if that was how the master bolt, the weapon he was going on a quest to find, looked like.

The clouds receded and the thunder ceased.

"I have read your augury, Jason," Olivia told him. "And this is what it says. You must leave on your quest immediately, and head east. You must travel on the Roads, or else you will fail."

"Yeah, I'll travel on roads, I don't plan on flying."

"Not roads, you idiot," Octavian said. "THE Roads. The Roman Roads."

"Yes, the Roman Roads," Olivia explained to a confused Jason. "The last remnants of empire. They crisscross the whole country, and on them you will find figures from Roman legends, and the lightning thief." She removed a folded scroll from her pack and handed it to him. "Take this. It's a map of the Roads." She waited for the information to sink in before she continued. "Beware of the chicken man-"

"The chicken man?" Jason clearly thought she was kidding.

"Yes," she said, irritated that he had interrupted her. "Remember that looks can be deceiving. Stay away from the sea, or its wrath will consume you. Seek sanctuary in war, and return home before its too late."

Jason took a moment to let the words sink in. He hadn't known about the Roads, but then again he hardly left camp. On his last quest they had flown on eagles, two of which they had lost...

He cleared his head. Frankly, the chicken man sounded a little ridiculous. Would he play an important part in his quest? Some of Olivia's words made little sense. How would he find sanctuary in war? One usually found sanctuary from war. These questions plagued his mind as he left Olivia and Octavian at the temple and went to prepare for his quest.

He found Gwen and Dakota lounging on identical hammocks in a fifth cohort barracks porch.

"Hey Jason, how's it going?" Dakota said. "How was the senate meeting?"

Jason told them about the meeting, including how he chose the two of them to be his companions.

"Quest mates," Gwen started warily. "That's..."

"Great," Dakota finished. "Of course we'll go with you, man."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Gwen looked wary, guarded even.

"What happened to glass-half-full Gwen?" Dakota said.

"What's the matter, Gwen?" Jason asked. "Don't you want to go on a quest with us?"

"It's not that," she explained. "I want to go with you guys. I just that...oh, its hard to explain."

"Try us."

"You see-"

"Hey guys!" A wheezing Roger came running up to them.

"Roger. What's up, little buddy," Dakota said.

The timid boy took some time to catch his breath.

"I heard you got a quest," he finally said. "I...here." He took out a multi colored clump from his pants pocket. "Take these."

Jason picked a green band from the clump.

"Friendship bracelets," he said incredulously. "Thanks, Roger, but-"

"Oh, no no! These are shields, legion issue. I know carrying those glorified refrigerator doors can be quite a drag. I just got them from the armory. Actually, I..."

"It's okay, Roger, you can tell us. Gus sent you to give them to us," Dakota assumed.

"Well, I...yeah," he finally admitted, though he didn't look sure. "Anyway, just press on the golden eagle in the middle and the bracelet will change into a shield."

Jason examined his bracelet closely. On it the words _fourth of July fireworks '05_ were etched in gold around the green band. Sure enough, there was an eagle on it as well. He pressed on it experimentally, and the band morphed into a shiny golden rectangular shield that promptly fell out of his hands.

"These are the last ones we have, so don't lose them," Roger insisted.

Jason inspected the shield. He found another eagle icon which he pressed, and the shield morphed back into the green band.

"Thanks, man," he told Roger, pulling the bracelet onto his wrist to secure it.

The plump boy beamed, and left them with their new gifts. Dakota twirled his bracelet between his fingers and turned to Gwen.

"Come on, Gwen. You have to come with us, we'll be so lost without you. Besides, our good friend Roger just gave us these neat bracelet-shield thingies. You have to come now. You know, for Roger."

Jason almost laughed. Gwen wouldn't possibly say no now, she was too nice. It was amazing how well Dakota knew her, to be able to play that card.

"Alright," she finally agreed, although she seemed unusually reluctant.  
Jason wondered if she was hiding something.

It took them about some time to fully pack for their quest. In his backpack Jason included a few winter clothes, a pouch full of golden denarii, a thermos of nectar (he had to the infirmary for it) and a bag of ambrosia squares. It was late afternoon when they dragged an old chariot to the stables. The unicorns were grazing in the grassy land around the stables. Arcturius, the big red glowing wolf-headed dude who looked after the unicorns, stood in front of the stables, his arms folded. They explained their quest to him, and he harnessed a brown unicorn for of them without a word. Unicorns were used mainly for medicinal purposes, but since they were to travel over land the other forms of magical transport wouldn't suffice. The chariot was surprisingly spacious and could fit all three of them as well as their packs and weapons.

Unfortunately for Jason, they had pass by the center of camp to reach the Decumanian gate. Almost the whole legion was about, and they were all eyeing him.

"Why are they looking at me like that?" Jason asked his friends.

"Well," Dakota started uncertainly. "The second cohort has been spreading rumors that the monsters on the bridge were actually sent by Neptune, to kill you."

"So basically they blame me for the attack." Jason could feel the bitterness building within him.

"Sort of. This is actually something Neptune would do," Gwen said.

Jason wanted to be angry at Gwen, but he knew she was right. Ever since he was claimed, he had been in constant danger, all because his father had broken the oath. Now his fellow legionnaires felt he was endangering them as well. If this was how the legion felt, then he was glad he was leaving at that moment.

"But it's not Neptune who sent the monsters," he said. He told them about his dream with the two dracaenae on the bridge."

"Who's the Crooked One?" Dakota asked.

They were now surging though Caldecott tunnel. Gwen gave a little squeak when she heard the name. Was it possible she knew who the Crooked One was?

"I have no idea," Jason said. "But he sounds like somebody we shouldn't mess with."

The doors to the outside world were opened by two grouchy looking legionnaires.

"Ten denarii says they won't make it back," one of them said to the other.

"That's not a fair bet," the other replied. "Of course they won't make it."

On that positive note they were speeding down the highway. It was way colder out here than at camp, and Jason was glad he had worn extra layers. Luckily, the chariot was magically cold-proof so they didn't freeze to death.

"So where are we going, quest leader," Dakota asked him.

"I'm not sure yet." He told them everything Olivia had said to him during his augury. He unfurled the map and gazed at it intensely. He almost choked on his own breath. The map shifted and expanded before his eyes. It zoomed in to Berkeley and the surrounding areas. There were many roads labeled in Latin, some superposed over already existing highways, some cutting trails into forests and hills. Ordinary towns were marked by black dots, while others had bright red dots. The nearest red dot aside from New Rome (which was marked by a red square, indicating a capital) was Bishop, and a couple of Latin marked roads led to the town. He showed the map to his friends.

"I heard legends about the place," he told them. "There's a guy, a Roman guy, who has all sorts of information. Maybe he could help us."

"When you say guy, do you mean monster, ghost, immortal..."

"You'll see," Jason said.

"It's a good place to start," Gwen agreed.

As they drove further into the mortal world, the Mist became stronger. Jason found himself sitting in the passenger seat of a sedan that was driving itself. Somehow their their unicorn drawn chariot had been made to look like a modern car. The sun had set, and a chilly evening breeze ruffled through the car, reminding Jason that it was only a trick in the Mist. Dakota and Gwen sat behind him, making small talk while the sky darkened. The Mist seat was quite comfortable, and Jason found himself feeling drowsy. Within a few minutes he was asleep.

_He dreamed he was on a beach. Somehow he knew it was not in California. There was a storm on the beach. The sea churned and rose, fierce waves crashing against the rough sand. Overhead, storm clouds boiled and thunder boomed. Lightning flashed. Jason spotted two figures on the beach. It was a horse and an eagle, and they were fighting to the death. The horse reared on its hind legs and kicked at the eagle. The eagle attacked the horse's head with its talons. Each time one of the animals landed a blow, lightning flashed and thunder boomed. Jason didn't know why they were fighting, but he found himself wishing with all his heart that they would stop. Somehow, if these creatures continued fighting it would destroy the world._

_Then a voice from underneath the earth spoke._

_"Son of Jupiter," it said. It sounded ancient and evil, like a knife scraping against rock. "Look at them_."

_The horse and eagle still fought, and the storm still surged._

_"Soon they will fight, and I will rise_."

_"Who are you?" Jason asked feebly_.

_The voice laughed cruelly_.

_"I'm hurt, Jason Grace," it said in mock pain. "Six years you have paid homage to me, and you can't even recall my name."_

_As the voice said his name, he felt a chill down his spine. Like a knife was scraping against his back. In an instant Jason recognized who it was._

_"Saturn," he muttered._

_"Very good, grandson._"

_"How are you here? You are supposed to be imprisoned in Tartarus for all eternity."_

_"I admit, the prison your father condemned me to was strong. But I grew stronger. You Romans fed me for millenia with your feasts. They are fueling my power as we speak. Once again I have influence over the surface world. But I still need you, grandson."_

"_You're crazy_."

_"Join me, Jason Grace. Your father has neglected you, left you to the mercy of his vengeful wife. The Olympian Council wants you dead. Join me and take revenge on Jupiter and the all of Olympus. I offer you the world to rule. All you have to do is find the master bolt and bring it to me."_

"Never!"

_"Then let this quest be a lesson to you. The Olympians care about nothing but themselves. Not even for their own children. Before the year ends, you will bring the bolt to me."_

_Saturn laughed evilly, and the whole scene dissolved_.

**A/N: Finally, the quest is underway. Special guest appearance by none other than the evil dude himself, Saturn. Also, Gwen seems to be hiding something. What could it be? Stay tuned!**


	7. Call Me Guy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. All characters belong to Rick Riordan.**

**This chapter is slightly shorter than usual. It was getting too long so I had to cut it in half. Please read, enjoy and of course review.**

VII  
Call me Guy

By the time Jason awoke, the sun was already up. It seared his retinas as he opened his eyes and appraised his surroundings. They were parked in a sidewalk, and there were few people around. Somehow their chariot/car had traveled as far as Bishop over the night. A thin layer of snow covered the street they were on. It looked like a regular city, and Jason briefly wondered why it was part of the Roman Roads. He stretched his muscles where he sat, his neck creaking painfully. He recalled the terrible dream he had in the night. He didn't know why the horse and eagle were fighting in that stormy weather, but he knew who the evil voice under the earth belonged to. It was Saturn, the Titan Lord that swallowed his children the gods. The Titan Lord that had gotten chopped up and cast into the darkest pit in the underworld. Somehow he had gained power and wanted Jason to betray the gods. Leaving the legion before your ten years of service was a serious offense, one that usually ended in death if caught. But Jason had a feeling he would survive if he ever switched sides. Saturn would protect him.

For a split second, he considered the Titan Lord's offer.

He was right, the gods never had time for their demigod children. They were less involved in the mortal world, not to mention they were harsher and stricter. It was often said that meeting a Roman god was the worst luck you could have. They were easily offended and tended to kill quite willingly. Why should he serve them if this was how they behaved? His own father had abandoned him at camp, and as a result he didn't know anything about his mortal family. Sure the gods were family, but Saturn was his family too, right?

Jason mentally kicked himself for thinking such thoughts. He was a hero, and Saturn was evil. He should not be considering offers from the villain. The gods were cruel in their own right, but they represented western civilization. The older beings such as the Titans hated mortals, and would to kill and even eat them if they had the chance. They were worse than the gods. Jason remembered his conversation with Hadrian. The praetor had mentioned that older forces would try to get their hands on the master bolt, now that it was away from Jupiter. Saturn wanted to use the bolt to rise from Tartarus. Jason had to prevent that.

He turned in his seat to wake up his friends. They were both asleep in the backseat, Dakota's head drooping over Gwen's shoulder.

"Wake up, guys," he said, prodding them with his finger.

"Uhhh, where are we?" Dakota asked sleepily.

"We made it to Bishop. Come on, we need to find the guy with the information."

He stepped out of the car, the chilly air greeting him on the sidewalk. Gwen followed Dakota out of the car, combing her disheveled hair with her fingers. She had a gladius strapped to her hip while Dakota was adjusting a wooden shafted spear with a leather grip and an Imperial gold tip behind his back. Gwen inspected something on her shoulder.

"Ugh, Dakoka! You drooled all over my shoulder." She appraised Jason's face. "You okay, Jason?"

He must have looked off.

"Yeah, it's just that I had this dream." He told them about the horse and eagle as well as the conversation with the Titan while the walked down the street away from their chariot/car.

"It's obviously Jupiter and Neptune," Gwen said. "Those are their sacred animals. Does that mean they are fighting right now."

"No, the voice said they'll start fighting soon. I think that's one of the reason he wants the bolt. If Jupiter and Neptune fight, there will be civil war on Olympus."

"So, not only are we retrieving a weapon on mass destruction, but we are trying to prevent a war as well?" Dakota said. "Can I just say, way too much pressure."

"Let's just focus on on finding the bolt," Jason. "For all we know, the gods haven't even considered going to war."

"Right. So who are we even looking for out here?" Gwen glanced furtively around.

"His name is Gaius. Gaius Fidelius something, I forgot his last name. He knows a great deal about the mythical world."

A trash can fell loudly in an alley they were passing. Jason jumped in surprise, his hand gripping Ivlivs in his pocket. The alley was in shadow so he couldn't fully make out the different shapes in the semi-darkness. But he could see a figure moving towards them. Judging by their wary looks, his friends had seen him too. As the figure drew closer, Jason found himself feeling less threatened. The guy was short, almost his height, which was strange considering he was a grown man. He wore a worn leather jacket over a striped shirt, and his hair was slicked back. He looked like a low-level mobster as he swaggered toward them leisurely. He seemed to noticed their weapons.

"What do we have here?" he said. "You kids lost?"

"Actually, we're on a quest," Jason said. "We're looking for Gaius Fidelius-"

"You guys cops?" He looked up and down the street. The few mortals that were about were not paying them any attention.

"Obviously not, dude," Dakota said.

Gaius eyed Gwen's gladius warily.

"Did Bellona send you?"

"No. Look, we need information. We'll pay you." Jason showed him a pouch filled with golden denarii.

The short man's eyes widened with glee.

"Roman legionnaires, my favorite kind of demigods!"

"Is there any other kind?" Gwen asked.

He ignored her. "Call me Guy! So what do you need, kids?"

"We're trying to find someone. Is there a magical way we could do it?"

"Who you tryna find?"

"Not important. Can you help us or not?" Jason jiggled the money pouch in front of Guy's face.

The short man followed every jiggle with his eyes like a dog with a bone.

"Of course, but I prefer payment upfront."

Jason pulled out a couple of denarii and handed them over.

"Don't try anything funny."

"Don't worry, kid. Uncle Guy's got your back. Say, is that your sweet ride over there?"

He pointed at their chariot/car. From the outside it looked like a beat up yellow sedan.

"Yeah."

"Say what, I'm feeling pretty generous today. I'll walk you to your car." He started walking, and Jason jogged to catch up to him, making sure that he didn't escape with their money. "I don't usually tell people about this, but you seem like nice kids. There's a cave in Colorado. Contains something I hid during the Civil War. A mirror, shows you whoever you want to see. And their location. Does that help?"

"Yeah, thanks," Gwen said happily.

Jason still had a nagging suspicion, but he pushed it aside. They reached the car, and Guy patted the hood heavily. The car shifted and morphed back into the unicorn drawn chariot. Guy inspected the chariot and brushed the unicorn's mane.

"Sweet chariot. Standard legion issue, Imperial gold axle. Fine breed of unicorn, useful for transport and medicine. The horn looks pretty expensive too."

"I guess," Dakota said. "We're gonna go now. Thanks for your help."

"Oh, you kids aren't going anywhere." The short man smiled cruelly. "I like you guys, but I like your chariot more. I think I'm gonna take it. And all your money too."

Two goons appeared behind them. They had were big and brawny with stupid looks on their faces. One wore a sleeveless denim jacket that showed skull tatoos on his beefy arms. The other wore a leather jacket like Guy's, and had a red bandanna on his head. They cracked their knuckles menacingly as they approached Jason and his friends.

Jason pulled Ivlivs from his pocket. "Why you double-crossing little-"

"Save it, kid. I've heard them all. Bone Crusher, Knucklehead, take care of them."

Denim jacket cracked his neck joints and began to change. He grew taller and buffer until he was an eight foot tall giant with wild eyes, hairy arms and pointed teeth. Next to him, Bandanna morphed as well, and a large tree club appeared in his hand. They became monsters Jason liked the least, Laistrygonian giants.

"Let's have us some half-blood meat, Knucklehead," Denim jacket, or Bone Crusher, said.

Jason flipped Ivlivs, and a javelin fell back onto his hand. Knucklehead swung his club at him, and Jason leaped backward to avoid the strike. Next to him, Dakota and Gwen drew their weapons. They charged Bone Crusher while Jason brought his attention back to Knucklehead. The monster swung his club and Jason ducked. It swung again, but he sidestepped. It swung a couple more times and Jason managed to avoid all the strikes. The giant roared in frustration, and brought the club down on his head in a vertical arc. Jason dropped his javelin and leaped sideways, rolling twice on the ground and getting hastily to his feet. He was unarmed with Ivlivs lying a few yards from him. Knucklehead grinned evilly, his sharp teeth showing.

"What are you gonna do without your weapon, puny hero?"

"Improvise."

He summoned a gust of wind and aimed it at the giant with an open palm. It only blew Knucklehead back half a step, but it gave him enough time to pick up his fallen weapon. He dashed forward and stabbed. He caught the monster on the shoulder and green blood dripped out. Knucklehead howled in pain and rage. He swung his tree branch faster and more recklessly. Jason couldn't use his javelin to block, it would be pointless. He jabbed again, but Knucklehead blocked with his club. The javelin sunk into the dark wood and held. Jason frantically tried to pull it out, to no avail. Seeing his dilemma, Knucklehead lifted the branch, and Jason hung on as he was lifted off the ground. The monster ball waved his weapon above his head, trying to throw Jason off. He felt his grip slipping. With a triumphant shout, the giant dislodged Jason and sent him flying down the street. For a few moments he was in the air, then he fell on the hood of a parked car. He rolled off and collapsed on the tarmac. Shakily, he stood to face his opponent once more.

"You're still alive?" Knucklehead bellowed.

"It'll take more than a lousy throw to beat me."

He ran toward giant, unarmed and slightly injured. His javelin was still stuck on Knucklehead's tree branch. The giant held the branch above his head, waiting for Jason to approach. When he was a few from the monster, he jumped and slid baseball style between Knucklehead's legs. The giant swung his club downward and barely missed Jason's head. Jason twisted around in mid-slide until he was on his hands and one knee behind Knucklehead. The giant lifted his club up, trying to whack at him again, but before he could turn around Jason leaped and piggybacked the monster. Before Knucklehead could react, he clambered onto his shoulder and grabbed his javelin which was now within reach. He placed his foot at the back of the giant's head and leaned backwards, pulling at his weapon with all his might. It came loose and Jason fell backwards, but in mid-air he performed an acrobatic back flip and landed on his feet. The monster twisted around and swung the club with one hand. Jason ducked and, as quick as lightning, sunk Ivlivs into Knucklehead's flank between the ribs. With a final howl, the giant crumpled into yellow dust.

A few yards from him, Dakota and Gwen stood over another pile of dust. They had defeated their monster. Guy, the short man who had deceived them, had his mouth open in shock. He started backing away, but Jason rushed forward and held him by his collar with one hand and pointed Ivlivs at him with the other.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Don't kill me."

"Give me a good reason I shouldn't?" Jason said through gritted teeth.

"I've got info, I've got info!"

Guy started to change. Fur grew on his face and arms, his nose and mouth stretching into some kind of snout. His ears grew long and pointed, his two front teeth protruding from his upper lip. A long thin tail grew behind him. The man now resembled a giant humanoid rat, like Master Splinter but more cowardly.

Jason tried to recall his myth.

"I remember now. You sold out your legion to barbarian invaders, so Bellona punished you by turning you into the rat you really are."

"That was ages ago, I've changed since then."

"You tried to rob us!" Dakota shouted. "And get us killed!"

Even Gwen looked upset.

"There is no mirror in Colorado, is there?"

Guy shook his rat head quickly. Jason pressed the tip of his javelin on his throat.

"Talk!"

"Okay, geez! If you want to find somebody, you should see Sybill Masterson. The one who sees all. She lives somewhere in Nevada. She tell you exactly what you need. That's all I know!"

"How do we know you're not lying?"

"It's the truth. I swear on the river Styx."

There was a distant rumble of thunder. Jason released the rat man. He clutched his throat while backing away from the half-bloods.

"Go on, get out of here," Jason said.

"You're letting him go?" Dakota had been puzzled look on his face.

"I don't like it either, but he helps legionnaires on quests. He doesn't normally behave like this."

They watched the rat man scamper back to his dark alley.

"Alright guys, we have a lead," Gwen said. "Let's find this Sybill lady."

**A/N: I almost used the Laistrygonians that attacked Percy in Sea of Monsters, just to show how much the Greek and Roman worlds intertwined before HoO, but I decided against it. Did I make the right call? Stay tuned!**


	8. The One Who Sees All

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. If I did I would have made Nico and Thalia part of the Seven.**

**This is my first update in quite a while. I apologize, guys, I have a bad case of the stomach virus. Had to go to hospital and everything. I'm fine now, and hopefully I'll get back to regular updates. Time to read, enjoy and of course review!**

VII

The one who sees all

The house stood alone in the woods. It was a small stone building with smoke curling upward cozily from a chimney. It was surrounded by tall looming trees. This house belonged to Sybill Masterson. The one who sees all. Jason still wasn't exactly sure how they had found it. They were traveling on a highway in Nevada, their ride in chariot form and the trio seated cross-legged, when Gwen started acting weird. Well, weirder. Since the beginning of their quest, Gwen had been reclusive and secretive. She was usually a happy, bubbly girl, and her recent behavior worried Jason. She asked suddenly for the map he was holding and examined it intently.

"Let's take this road," she said, showing him and Dakota a Roman road that went off the highway.

"Why?"

"I just have a good feeling about it," she said simply.

Sure enough, the crude road led them through a large forest to the stone house.

"How did know this road would lead us here?" Jason asked warily.

Dakota had a wide grin on his face. "It must be your Fortuna luck."

"I guess, I've never really given it much thought," said Gwen. "I just get a good feeling about stuff sometimes."

"Really, then what do we need this Sybill lady for" asked Jason. "Can't you use your power to find the lightning thief?"

"Yeah, when you think of the thief, which road on the map gives you a good feeling?" Dakota was looking at her hopefully.

Gwen's eyebrows knitted together as her eyes fell back on the map. "I don't think that will work. If the thief has successfully managed to hide himself from the gods, then what hope do I have?"

Jason nodded. "You're probably right. Let's just use the lead we have."

They slowly made their way down a snowy path that lead to the front porch.

"Who builds a house in the middle of a forest?" asked Dakota nervously.

"Hillbilly deer hunters and ancient Roman Oracles, apparently."

They climbed the porch steps, and Jason stepped forward and knocked on the wooden door.

"She can't really see all, can she?" Dakota had gone pale. "I don't even think the gods can do that."

"I read somewhere that Apollo can see everything light from the sun touches," said Gwen. "Maybe it's kinda like that."

Jason knocked again, but the door swung open on its own accord. The interior was darker, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. Behind him, Dakota nudged him forward into what was obviously the living room. He pulled Ivlivs from his pocket and closed his knuckles around it, ready for anything. He decided not to flip it. They were technically trespassing on this lady's property.

The room was not what Jason was expecting. He thought he would find a dark room lit by candles with burning incense and altars with stuffed animals like the ones Olivia used for her auguries. Instead he saw a homely room with furniture from the '50s. An old-fashioned black and white television stood before a group of couches. The coffee table was bare except for the white cloth and a few doilies on it. A warm fire burned in a fireplace across the room. Next to the TV was another table with photo frames filled with pictures. There was no one else in the room.

"Hello?" Gwen called. "Is anyone home? Mrs. Masterson?"

There was no answer. Jason moved further into the room, glad to be away from the biting cold. The room was so warm and cozy that he felt his eyelids droop. Weren't there monsters who lured unsuspecting heroes into their comfortable lairs and killed them while they were sleeping?

"There's nobody here, guys," said Dakota. "Should we wait or something?"

But Jason was no longer listening. He stood in front of the table with all the pictures. They were also old-timey and mostly black and white. One had a group of kids in dark shirts, all smiling with their arms around each other. A caption underneath read: _second cohort friends, we will always have the memories_. So this lady had been in the legion. That was comforting, to say the least, but it didn't necessarily means she was on their side. Another had a dark haired girl in school uniform, standing next to a hippie older woman with much lighter hair. The older woman had a guitar strapped to her back like Dakota's spear, and she was smiling widely while the girl stood in discomfort. Another showed three kids, the girl from the other picture, a blond boy and another dark-haired girl, all smiling and waving. In another photo the blond kid had a hydra head under his arm like he was holding a soccer ball. He held two fingers up in a peace sign. More photos showed an older version of the dark-haired girl, her eyes covered by dark glasses. In the middle of the table stood a frame that was larger than the rest. It was a colored picture of a seventeen year old guy with sandy hair and a playful grin. He looked cool, Jason thought. But something looked off about the picture. It looked...less real.

"Like it?" Jason jumped and turned around as a new voice came from behind him. "It's a painting of my father, Apollo. I painted it from memory. I couldn't exactly use a camera now, could I?"

An old lady stood stood under the doorway, her hands holding a tray with mugs and a pot of tea. She looked about eighty with white hair and a kind smile. She looked like a regular granny, and not at all like an ancient Roman fortuneteller. Her eyes though were unfocussed. She was blind.

"Gwen, Dakota, Jason," she said. "Sit, have some tea. We have a lot to talk about."

They did as she said, but Jason refrained from taking the tea. He didn't know if he could trust the lady. She seemed to know where everything was, despite being blind, as she poured herself a cup. As Jason looked at her closely, he noticed that her mouth kept twitching and wouldn't keep still. She was muttering under her breath very quickly, though Jason couldn't make out what she was saying.

"Mrs. Masterson," he started. "We are looking for the lightning thief."

Her muttering grew louder and her cup shook as she placed it back on the table after a sip. Jason thought he heard a few words from the incoherent rambling, words like Jackson that didn't make any sense to him.

"For sixty years, heroes have come to me on their quests." She took a shaky sip. "I will tell you where to find the thief, for I am the only one who can. When I was still in the legion, I lost my sight to a horrible accident. For days I prayed to my father to restore my sight. Instead of giving me back my eyes, he gave me an even better gift. The power to see everything under the sun."

She took another sip. "I will give you what you seek, but first you have to do something for me. A mini-quest, if you will."

"Okay, what do you need?" asked Jason.

"West of this forest, there grows a plant. A glory seed. It is a purple plant, you won't miss it. I require a fruit from this plant. Take the path that heads west and bring me the fruit."

Jason got to his feet. "This better not be a trick. Come on, let's get going, guys."

"I think one of us should stay here," Gwen said, standing up. "Me and Jason will go."

"Wait, why do I have to stay behind?" asked Dakota with his voice raised.

"You have to make sure she keeps her end of the deal. For all we know, she could be sending us to our deaths."

The old lady turned her face towards Jason. "Have I given you reason not to trust me?"

"It's not you. The last guy we trusted tried to rob us."

"We'll be back soon, Dakota," said Gwen with a reassuring smile.

So Jason and Gwen left the small house to pick the fruit of the mysterious Glory Seed plant. They walked down a narrow path through the tall trees, a chilly wind ruffling their clothes. They walked in silence, Gwen keeping her head down and avoiding Jason's eyes. She seemed especially nervous around him, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out why.

The path ended in a large clearing with small shrubs. In the middle of the clearing was a strange purple-leafed vine like plant with green pods where the flowers should have been. A mysterious hazy fog clung to the ground and the leaves.

"That must be it," said Jason. They weaved through the thorny shrubbery painfully. Gwen was a step ahead of him, and Jason decided he had had enough of the secrecy.

"Look, Gwen. You haven't been the same since we started this quest. I don't know what's going on with you, but you can tell us. You can tell me."

She slowed down, allowing Jason to catch up.

"It's nothing. Really." Her voice sounded shaky.

"We're a team, Gwen. We'll understand, and help you get through this. Even Dakota will, but try telling him when he hasn't had any Kool-Aid."

She laughed softly, then looked nervous again.

"Something happened, before I arrived at camp."

They were among the curled purple vines, and Jason reached up and picked a green fruit. It fitted easily into his palm. It was smooth and hard. He pocketed it and turned to face Gwen, giving her all his attention.

"What happened?"

"Jason." Her eyes were wide in the hazy fog. "I met my mom..."

"Fortuna? What did she-"

He didn't get to finish what he was saying as something grabbed hold of his ankle and yanked him off his feet. His head collided with the ground painfully and he was momentarily dazed. He felt himself get dragged deeper into the purple shrubbery, mist whipping around him fervently. Vines thrashed above him, suddenly alive, and ensnared him in a vicious hold. More vines exploded out of the ground and wrapped themselves around any part of Jason they could get hold of. He struggled and thrashed feebly, his eyesight still swimming. Above him, Gwen drew her sword and slashed at the vines wildly, but more kept coming. She managed to sever the vines entangling him, and with great effort he pulled himself off the ground and onto his feet.

The world spun and Jason's head hurt. Purple vines whipped around his legs and a few managed to get hold of his arms. He tried to reach Ivlivs in his pocket, but more vines wrapped around him. With a sharp tug in his stomach, he willed the air around him to churn and twist, creating a miniature whirlwind. The wind whipped the vines around wildly, but more kept coming . Eventually they pulled Jason back onto the ground and the wind subsided. More vines burst out of the ground and pulled him forward. He twisted his head to the side as he fell on his chest, a dozen more vines wrapping around him tightly. He felt his chest constrict and his breath come in shallow gasps. Somewhere behind him, Gwen gave a great shout and a heavy thud followed. A vine curled around Jason's neck, strangling him. His eyesight blurred, the vines tightening.

A pair of worn sneakers appeared at the corner of his eye. Seconds later the vines loosened, releasing him from their deadly hold. He tore away the remaining ones and steadily got on his feet. Standing before him with an oddly serious look on his face was Dakota.

"You okay, man?" he asked.

Jason nodded and blinked, clearing the spots from his eyes. He turned and saw that Gwen was still on the ground, entangled by purple vines. Dakota extended a hand toward her and closed his eyes in concentration. Immediately the vines loosened and pulled away from her. The rest of the vines thrashed around them, but didn't get any closer. They were suddenly harmless.

Jason helped Gwen onto her her feet.

"Dude, how did you do that?"

"You're not the only one with cool gifts, my friend. The crazy blind lady told me you guys were in trouble, so I came as soon as I could. She said I was the only one who could."

"I guess she was right."

Gwen sheathed her sword and ran toward Dakota. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. A dumbfounded Dakota stood there, his arms hanging limp at his sides.

"You saved us," she said breathlessly.

"Uhh..." he said lamely.

She hung on to him for a few more seconds, then suddenly she let go and stepped backwards quickly, almost treading on Jason's toe. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, refusing to meet Dakota's.

"Alright then," said Jason, breaking the silence. "We've got the fruit, let's get going."

They reached Sybill's house to find her still seated on her old-fashioned couch, muttering softly.

"You lied. You sent us out there to die."

She laughed slowly. "I didn't say it was going to be easy. But I see you succeeded."

Jason handed her the fruit. She took it and felt it under her fingers.

"You have done as I asked, now tell me what you need to find."

"Where can we-"

"Don't be hasty, Jason Grace. I can help you find anything you desire." A milky eye fixed itself on his face, almost as if she wasn't blind. "Don't you want to know what happened to your mortal family?"

Jason's eyes widened. He didn't know anything about his mortal family. Did he have a mother? Any siblings? Maybe a dog? He had arrived at Camp Jupiter when he was very young, and the legionnaires back then had refused to tell him where he came from. If they even knew. He had told himself that when he was old enough, he would try to find his family. Now here was a blind woman who could see all, offering to show him their location. Maybe if he allowed her, he could find information on the lightning thief elsewhere...

"Where can we find the lightning thief?" he asked at last.

Sybill's eyes became unfocused once more as she glanced away into space.

"Be at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis at noon on the 29th. That is where the thief shall be, and he will not be cloaked in darkness."

There was silence as Jason digested the information. Today was the 26th. They had three days to reach St. Louis. It was possible, unicorns traveled much faster than ordinary horses, or even cars. But quests were never straightforward. He hoped they would get delayed too much along the way.

"Wait, I didn't know you can see the future, too."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," she said mysteriously. "Now move along, young heroes. The gods cannot see as I can. Even my father Apollo's eyes have been clouded by an ancient power. They will come to me for help. You do not want to be here when they do."

They stood and headed for the door.

"Oh, and Jason," said Sybill as Jason turned the doorknob. "Beware. The son of Neptune is abroad, with orders from his father. Fight him alone, and you will lose."

With that she disappeared behind the door. What did she mean, Jason thought. Neptune didn't have any demigod children. But then again, he had countless children with nature spirits. He banished the thoughts to the back of his mind as he climbed onto the chariot. At least now they had a destination. And so they set off, away from the house of Sybill Masterson, toward St. Louis. Where they would find the thief.

**A/N: I don't know if you guys noticed, but when Sybill mentioned "Jackson", she was talking about Percy. But Jason doesn't know that. Fun fact, Sybil is an oracle Aeneas came across during his travels. Also, ancient Roman oracles tended to be called Sybil. I'm trying to stick to Roman mythology, but it's kind of hard since there isn't that much of it.**

**Next chapter, our heroes meet a goddess. Any guesses who? Stay tuned!**


	9. Calydonian Boar

**I do actually own PJO. I'm Rick Riordan, writing fanfics to see if people will like my stories if they didn't know who I was. Just kidding, April Fools everybody! Read, enjoy and review!**

IX

Calydonian boar

They traveled until it was late at night before they stopped and set up camp in a dark forest. Their path was pretty straightforward now, onward across the country to St. Louis. Their ride was in chariot form (that was how it was the further they got from civilization) which made it hard to sleep in. The air was chilly, and Jason busied himself with starting a fire. It turned out to be a difficult task; most twigs were wet and covered in snow. The fire he managed to get going was small and smoky, but it was still warm. They gathered around it and ate a dinner consisting of energy bars and smoky burgers (and Kool-Aid for Dakota).

"It's freezing out here," said Dakota. "How do we get the stupid chariot to turn into a car?"

"Dakota's right," said Gwen. We can't sleep out here. We'll die."

Jason had to agree with his friends. He could feel the bitter cold seeping into his bones. The fire hardly helped. It was like placing your hands over a flashlight and hoping to get warm. He remembered how Gaius, the rat-man they encountered, made the chariot change just by touching it. Maybe they could do the same. He didn't know how, but maybe Gwen would get lucky again if she tried.

"We'll worry about that later," he said. "For now let's built a bigger fire."

Dakota concentrated and made vines to grow out of the earth around their small fire. He made a crushing motion with his hand and the vines shriveled and dried, forming perfect fuel. Soon a large fire roared before them. They sat on a fallen log and finished their dinner in comfortable warmth. Dakota poured himself some Kool-Aid in a plastic cup.

"You look like you're at a college party or something," noted Jason.

The son of Bacchus swirled the drink around in the cup and sniffed it haughtily before he took a tiny sip and gurgled it.

"Rich flavor. Dances on your taste buds with a fruity jig."

"Wow, you know your Kool-Aid," said Gwen a little sarcastically. "You're gonna end up as one of those snobby wine critics."

"Actually, I think I want to own my own vineyard when I grow up," he told her. "You know, like in the South of France, with a huge chateau and banquets where international spies will try break into my wine cellars to steal some pink panther jewel or whatever international spies steal. Like in the movies."

Gwen and Dakota started to talk about all the spy movies they'd seen, and Jason began to feel left out.

"You guys have actually watched movies?"

They looked at him with horror. "And you haven't?"

"There's an old film thingy in New Rome University, but I doubt it still works. That's pretty much the only exposure I've had with movies."

"I keep forgetting you grew up in the legion," said Gwen. "How was that like?"

"Well, I've been in the fifth cohort since I was two. When I got older I was given a choice to leave, to go to any other cohort I wanted, but decided to stay. I figured, the fifth was a disgrace to the legion but once we were the best cohort. I wanted to help the fifth regain their lost reputation."

"How did you do that?"

"I started going on quests when I was eight. Just small ones, with older heroes leading them. Once the doughnut shop owner in New Rome lost his doughnut recipe, and we had to go across the bay to the old location of the city to find a copy."

"A quest for doughnuts?" said Dakota. "I can imagine the augury for that."

Jason laughed. "Or the prophecy. _Three half-bloods must go east to the ruins of old, to find the recipe for doughnuts long since sold_."

"_Child of lightning, beware of iced sugar_." Gwen joined them in laughing.

"Or like, _Fortune's daughter walks alone, the high prices of doughnuts burn through Rome_."

They enjoyed a hearty laugh for several seconds. It felt good to laugh again, thought Jason. The pressure of finding the master bolt seemed far away at that moment.

"Tell us about the quest with the dragon, Jason," said Dakota.

Jason's heart skipped a beat. "I don't feel like talking about that one, if you don't mind, guys."

"Now I really want to know."

"Come on, Jason," said Gwen. "We're a team, remember. We can tell each other anything."

She was looking at him intensely. Jason sighed. Those were the words he had used on her in the forest, and she had revealed what had been bothering her. Granted it didn't make any sense, but she told him anyways. Now he was the one refusing to open up. How hypocritical of him. And she was right, of course. They were a team. He could trust them with this.

"Okay, I'll tell you. Two years ago I went on a quest with two other kids to find some imperial gold. It was in a cave, and the cave was supposed to be empty. We found this huge piles of gold and loaded it into our chariot. We didn't see the dragon hiding under the gold. The gold started getting hotter, blistering my skin. Then the dragon grabbed hold of my foot and..."

"Are you okay, man." Jason took a few deep breaths. "Yeah, I'm fine. Anyway, the dragon pulled me under. It was like swimming in boiling water. The others managed to save me in the nick of time. Brad, the quest leader, told us to get the chariot out of the cave while he distracted the dragon. We made it out alive, but he didn't."

"That's horrible."

"Yeah. When we got back to camp, I was immediately claimed. Seems that quest was dangerous enough to get Jupiter's attention. And that's basically it."

"No wonder you don't like talking about it," said Dakota.

"I was a kid back then. I hardly knew how to fight. Guys, I think we should be getting to sleep now."

Jason stood, but was suddenly knocked off his feet by an unseen force. It sent him flying across the clearing and he ended up with his back slamming against a tree painfully. For a moment he was dazed, but he quickly recovered made to walk forward. He couldn't. His shoulder was pinned to the tree by...an arrow? A glowing silver arrow protruded above his left shoulder which stung from a graze made by the arrow. Jason grabbed it with both hands and tried to pull it out, to no avail. A barely visible form darted from the trees toward him at a blinding speed. The figure reached him before his friends, who had just noticed what was happening, did, and drew a gleaming hunting knife whose blade sat on Jason's throat menacingly.

Jason took a sharp breath. His attacker was a girl. A very beautiful girl. Jason had never seen a girl this pretty in his life. Her perfect features were twisted in a menacing frown as she pressed her knife harder against his throat. She had auburn hair that was tied in a ponytail. She wore a silver parka, gray camouflage pants and a vicious pair of boots. A bow and quiver were slung across her back. She looked about twelve, but her silver eyes looked much older.

"Where is it?" she snarled.

"Where's what?"

Gwen and Dakota came running behind the girl, their weapons drawn. She turned so quickly, Jason almost missed it. She bashed Gwen's sword away with her knife effortlessly, causing it to clutter uselessly on the ground. She kicked Dakota's spear away away and swiftly punched him in the face. He collapsed and rolled around, groaning and clutching his jaw. The girl turned back to Jason.

"Where is the master bolt, you thief!"

"What are you talking about, I didn't steal the bolt. And those are my friends you just beat."

"Don't lie to me, boy." She said the word boy like it was an insult. "I smell lightning on you."

She sunk the knife deeper into his throat. He struggled against his captor, but the girl was incredibly strong.

"I didn't steal it, I swear," he said hoarsely. "I'm a son of Jupiter. That's why you can smell lightning on me."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. In the darkness her eyes seemed to be glowing. This girl was definitely not human.

"I wasn't aware Father any half-blood children. You better not be lying to me, boy."

"I'm not-wait, Jupiter's your dad too. Who are you?"

Just his luck. The prettiest girl he ever ran into wanted to kill him, and happened to be his sister.

"I am Diana, goddess of the moon and the hunt, though I'm not surprised you don't know who I am. Stupid boy, you have wasted my time. I lost my trail, I almost had the thief."

"Forgive us, my lady. We are searching for the thief, too. Maybe if we worked together-"

"Work together? I will kill you for standing in my way."

"Look, uh, sis. I'm sure you would like nothing more than to kill us. But I don't think Dad would be too happy if you did."

"You're right," she conceded. "Father has a rule; none of his children should destroy each other. I suppose you'll have to live, for now. But you have to appease my anger. Hunt down a beast and sacrifice it to me."

Jason didn't feel like hunting down anything, but it looked like the only way they would leave this forest alive. Olympians were so unreasonable.

"Okay, so what do you want? A rabbit? A bird?"

"How about the Calydonian boar."

Jason didn't pay much attention in monster class, but he knew any creature with an ancient Greek city in its name was usually big and scary. The Erymanthian sow. The Colchis bull. Regular livestock suddenly become deadly killing machines with a Greek town name.

"So how do we find-oh, there it is."

A boar the size of a small truck came stampeding into the clearing. It blew apart their camp fire with its tusks (which were the size of Jason's arms) and disappeared on the other side of the clearing.

"You better get moving, boy. The Calydonian boar is quicker than it looks."

He beckoned to his friends and ran after the boar. He pulled Ivlivs out of his pocket and flipped it. The weapon fell back on his hand in javelin form. Longer reach, just what he needed. Dakota and Gwen raced behind him, their weapons back on their hands. Catching up to the boar wasn't hard, it actually came charging at them. They dove out of its way at the last minute, and it covered several yards before stopping. They took battle stances and waited for the boar to charge again.

"Nice Calydonian boar," said Gwen slowly. "Good Calydonian boar."

The boar snorted, its red eyes glowing.

"This little piggy's gonna eat us!" shouted Dakota.

The boar charged, and this time they stood their ground.

"Okay guys, let's try trident formation," said Jason.

Jason and Dakota stood on either side of Gwen and raised their spears. The boar went for Gwen in the middle, but the boys both stabbed at its flank. Dakota's spear got tangled in the creature's coarse hairs while Ivlivs found its mark. The boar cried out in pain and swung its head like a club, knocking Jason onto the nearest tree. He crashed through wet branches and leaves and landed on a bigger branch. He groaned audibly. His hands and face were full of scratches, and his jacket sleeve had a large gash. Below, the boar charged Dakota and butted him back several yards. Gwen was left to face the creature alone. It tried to gore her with its tusks, but she dodged swiftly. She swung her sword and cut one tusk in half. She made to cut the other tusk, but the boar moved quickly and skewered her in her left arm. She cried out in pain but still held her ground. Behind her, Dakota got on his feet and joined the fray. Together, they jabbed and swung at the beast, but they couldn't do any damage.

"Anytime you wish to help us out here, Jason."

Jason stood on the branch. "Okay, time to go ham."

He jumped off the branch and landed on the boar's back. He straddled it like a horse and stabbed at its head. He found its mark, but the wound he made was too shallow. Not enough to kill it. The boar stomped and jumped around, trying to throw him off. He gripped the creature's back hairs in an attempt to hang on, to no avail. He was thrown off, and he soared through the air before he fell and rolled on the ground several yards away. The boar seemed particularly more angry at him as it left his friends behind and charged him. Without thinking, he threw the javelin. It glanced off the creature's tough hide and fell on the floor uselessly. Now Jason was unarmed, facing a two ton monster pig. Just great. When the boar was close enough, he flung himself out of the way and rolled twice before getting up.

"Jason, move out of the way," shouted Gwen.

In her hands was his javelin.

"I don't think that's gonna work, I just tried it."

The boar turned, ready to charge him again. "I have a really good feeling about this," she said in an exaggerated manner.

"Oh, right."

Jason dashed out of the way, and Gwen threw Ivlivs. It sunk deeply into the area above the boar's shoulder. The beast gave a final cry of pain and collapsed heavily. The trio gathered around the boar.

"I'm never eating bacon again," said Dakota.

"So how do we sacrifice this thing before it turns to dust?"

Jason pulled out Ivlivs and flipped it back to coin form. He placed his hands over the dead boar. _I hope this works_, he thought.

"I sacrifice this kill to you, Diana, goddess of the hunt and of the moon. I hope you can leave us alone now."

The boar started smoking, and in a few moments it started burning in a silvery blaze. Soon only gray ash remained. Gwen fell on her knees, her arm on her bleeding shoulder. Her face was pale and twisted in pain. Jason hadn't realized, she had lost a lot of blood.

"Gwen!" Jason dropped and eased her into a sleeping position. "Dakota, quick! Give me some nectar."

Dakota handed him a small bottle. He made Gwen drink it slowly. Too much of the stuff would turn her blood to ash. Immediately, she spit it out.

"Dakota, this is Kool-Aid," she said.

"Oops."

Dakota gave Jason another bottle. Gwen sipped the liquid furtively. The cut on her shoulder stopped bleeding and started healing. Soon she was able to stand.

"Are you okay, Gwen. Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Let's get back to the clearing."

They didn't find Diana waiting for them at the clearing, and they took it as a good sign. If she wasn't here, she wouldn't try to kill them.

"Can I just say, you have really crazy family, dude," said Dakota.

**A/N: I'd like to state a few things. Firstly, the trio do not know about the prophecies in** **Heroes of Olympus (for obvious reasons). Their use in this chapter is purely for comedic purposes. Let's call it a coincidence that the gang got them spot on. Secondly, the Watch the throne track called 'h.a.m' came out much later than Lightning Thief. Jason's reference to it again is meant to be funny. Sorry about that guys. Review and tell me if you want me to stop with the jokes that don't respect the rule of time.**

**Next chapter, we finally meet the infamous chicken man. Stay tuned**!


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